


Kizuna

by miki_mouse716



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Battle City Arc, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-08 09:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 145,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7751506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miki_mouse716/pseuds/miki_mouse716
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Worlds Apart. Years after their separation, Marik finds that Mimiki is within arm's reach in Battle City. Torn between his love for her and his fight against the pharaoh, his dark side continues to grow stronger. As events unfold, Mimiki wants to save her best friend, but at what cost? How powerful is their bond when the darkness of hell inside is an all consuming fire?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Within Arm's Reach

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I'm back with the "Worlds Apart" sequel. Thank you again for supporting that portion of Marik and Mimiki's story. If you haven't done so, please read "Worlds Apart", as there are parts in here that'll reference that story and of course, that story tells about their relationship. There will also be a bit of Kaiba/OC romance in here too. This is taking place during Battle City and I will be mixing in components from the Japanese and English versions, along with some parts of the manga.
> 
> If you want to see art from both stories, please check out my DeviantArt! I'll be posting art as the story progresses.
> 
> Please enjoy Kizuna and let me know what you think by reviewing! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't Yu-Gi-Oh! or it's characters. I own my characters only. (Mimiki Minami, Kakayu Hikami, and respective duel monsters)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:  
>  _'text'_ \- thoughts/thinking

A black SUV drove steadily on the main street and made its way into a residential area. A young teenager sat in the passenger seat with her chin propped up on her shoulder, not saying a word to the driver as she looked out the window. The SUV pulled into the driveway and finally stopped. They both were happy that their travels had finally come to an end, but the girl couldn't say that she was completely happy with the outcome. The man finally looked at her with a sad gaze. He knew that his daughter's grief was his fault.

"I'm sorry Mimiki. I wish that this turned out better than you had hoped." he said sadly.

Mimiki glanced at her father before returning her gaze to their house. She stretched before letting out a yawn and grabbed her backpack.

"It's okay, dad." she said as she got out the car and closed the door.

Masahiro grew worried about his daughter. He didn't think that the aftermath of leaving Egypt would've affected her this greatly and for this long. He watched her walked tiredly to the front door.

"I'll bring your luggage up to your room in a minute, Mimi."

Mimiki responded with a thumbs up and stepped into the house. It was quiet inside and no one had noticed their arrival yet, which she was thankful for and made her way upstairs to her room.

Mimiki sat her backpack on the floor, yanked her socks off and skydived onto her bed. The soft mattress and blue fleece blanket felt good on her skin as she wrapped herself in it. She had just returned from a week long trip to Egypt earlier today with her father and the trip had taken its toll on her.

_'Dammit, I'm so tired…'_ she thought. _'I wish that I had been selected for that first class upgrade on the way back home, not the other way around…that flatbed seat would've been really nice!'_

To add to her exhaustion, she had gone to Duelist Kingdom two weeks prior with her friends. Yugi had invited her to come along with the rest of the gang and even tried to persuade her to compete, but she decided to only tag along for support. She was happy that she didn't compete after all due to the crazy situations they ended up in all thanks to Maximilian Pegasus—and she couldn't forget other characters like Bandit Keith and the Paradox Brothers. The craziness, along with other things she had to deal with stressed her out. The crazy duels and their even crazier duelists were the icing on the cake that drove her to Insanity Lane.

Mimiki was a good duelist and had proven her skill when she battled against her classmates, crediting Dark Magician Girl and along with her magic and water themed deck with her victories. Duel Monsters was popular at school before she moved to Egypt and was still going strong after she moved back home. She figured if she had competed in Duel Kingdom, she could've earned third or fourth place.

She laughed at reminiscing her duels at school during breaks, especially when she dueled Joey. She found their duels to be quite humorous, especially when he thought he'd always back her into a corner and she ended up turning the tables around. She had learned a lot by watching the king of games and his anti-hero rival, Kaiba.

She smiled again when she thought back to the times when she used to use his ignorance of the game to win duels. That smile quickly turned into a frown and furrowed eyebrows. She whimpered quietly as a couple of tears fell down her cheeks. She grabbed a picture frame from her nightstand and sighed. It was a picture of the two of them from her birthday party.

_'Marik…'_

It had been three years since Mimiki had moved back home from Egypt. Three long years. She hadn't seen or heard from him since. She remembered the look on his face when he caught up to her in the airport. That look of sadness and pain she saw when he tried to reach for her at the security line was still etched into her brain. She closed her eyes hard and remembered all of the wonderful times they shared together instead of remembering the negative ones. That proved pointless when her mind soon wandered to the last thing he had said to her before she had to go through security:

"I love you Mimi!"

She didn't come to terms with her feelings for him back then, as she was unaware of how she truly felt. She didn't know how to handle the situation, she had never been in love before. Sure, she had crushes on some boys during her younger years, but the feelings she had for them didn't compare. She knew that her feelings were strong for him and he made a move on her heart. Mimiki blushed at the memories of the few kisses they had shared long ago.

She sighed and started to cry again. When her father announced that he had to take a week long business trip to Egypt, she jumped at the chance to go with him and begged to go. While he worked, she went back to the desert to find the Ishtars, but no one was to be found in their compound. The place looked as if it was abandoned some time ago; the corridors were dirty and filled with patches of sand, cobwebs were forming in abundance and some belongings were missing.

Her heart broke when her dream of seeing him was shattered. Three and a half years had passed, what should she have expected? Marik didn't live in an actual house, so it wasn't as if she could contact him via snail mail, phone or Skype. Even a search at the markets where they first met and the oasis proved fruitless. She could see the memories of them playing out before her eyes when she visited those areas, but instead of making her smile, they brought her grief. The term 'so close, yet so far away' was no further from the truth to her.

She wiped more tears away and decided that she should get some rest. She placed the beloved picture back on the nightstand and grabbed her cellphone from her backpack that had displayed 5:50 on the touchscreen. She decided that a nap was definitely in order. She sat the phone next to the picture frame, fluffed her pillow, got comfortable and started to drift off to sleep until there was a knock at the door. Mimiki growled in annoyance and covered her head with her blanket.

_'I haven't been home for 15 minutes and someone is already bothering me!'_

It could've been her little brother and sister. Sure they hadn't seen each other in a while, but didn't they know the horrors of jet lag from an international trip? The door quickly opened to reveal a tall teenage girl around the same age as her. She had tan skin, medium length dark brown hair and teal eyes. She had long, slender legs and looked like a model. She snickered at Mimiki being wrapped in her blanket and quickly jumped on her. Mimiki let out a loud yelp as she felt her body fly and landed with a thud.

"Mimi! You're finally back!"

Mimiki groaned as she rubbed her head. She quickly proceeded to shove the girl off of the bed and glared.

"What the hell, Kakayu?!"

Kakayu snickered and laughed. She quickly sat back on the bed.

"Sorry, but I've been wanting to do that for a while. It was a tad boring without you here. Kind of missed you."

_'Yeah and I missed not having anyone to bother me while I'm trying to sleep!'_

"I missed you too."

Kakayu smiled and settled in a bit more while grabbing an extra pillow.

"So you know why I'm here. You have to tell me about your trip! How was Egypt? Did you find him?" she asked with a glimmer of hope.

Mimiki sat up and looked at her somberly. She was hoping she wouldn't have to relive the disappointment of her trip so soon.

"No...I didn't find him…"

Kakayu felt bad for her cousin and wrapped her arm around her. She was the only one that knew about most of the details of her relationship with Marik. She was close to Yugi and the others now, but constantly retelling the story only made her feel worse, so she'd give them the bare minimum of the synopsis. She told Tea a little bit more than the guys during their allotted girl time. She didn't think that they wouldn't understand. They were teenage boys after all.

"I'm sorry. I know how much that means to you." she said, wiping tears from Mimiki's eyes.

"Don't cry, Mimi. Who knows? Maybe you two will meet very soon and pick up from where you two left off."

Mimiki smiled sadly. "If only it were that easy. Kai, you have no idea how hard it was to search for him and his family. I just wish I could see him again really soon. I can't believe it's been almost three and a half years already…"

The two cousins sat there in silence. They were really close, having grown up together. They attended the same school until Mimiki had moved. Kakayu took it pretty hard when she left, but was elated when she came back. She helped Mimiki get acclimated into life back home and to high school in Domino. Yugi and the others quickly took a liking to them and they were friends ever since. They helped her alleviate her depression and she was truly thankful for their friendship.

Mimiki smiled when she thought about the good things she had been blessed with and decided to perk up. She didn't want Kakayu feeling bad for her any longer. She propped a pillow against the bed frame and relaxed.

"So Kai, what's the news? What's been happening while I was gone? Anything exciting?"

Kakayu smiled at seeing her cousin perking up.

"Well Kaiba is hosting a duel monsters tournament starting tomorrow! He's aiming to make a complete mockery of Pegasus' last tournament. You should see the new duel disk he created! It's pretty nice, actually. Wanna see the test video? He let me come over to watch."

Mimiki rolled her eyes at hearing Kaiba's name. "Spending time with the asshole again, huh?" she asked as Kakayu rolled her eyes and blushed.

"Come on, Mimi. He's not that bad!" she exclaimed

Mimiki kept her mouth shut to spare themselves from a debate. When they entered high school, Kakayu always went head to head with Kaiba whenever he decided to open his mouth. Joey couldn't hold a candle to her. Kaiba never thought that a girl would be brave enough to stand up to him like she did. He would also get sass from Mimiki from time to time, but Kakayu was on a different level. She was also very tech savvy and level-headed, which also caught his eye. Having a female friend that could go toe to toe with him and not give a damn about what people thought made him want to know more about her. Needless to say, the two became good friends.

Mimiki became curious about the new duel monsters tournament and decided to see what Kakayu was talking about. _'If this will be better than Pegasus' tournament like he claims, I guess it's worth checking into.'_

"Oh really? Better than Duelist Kingdom, huh? Let me see!"

Kakayu whipped her phone out and showed her the video from the trial testing. All was good until a particular duel monster caught her eye. Although it was a hologram, she could feel its immense power.

"Which monster is that, Kai? I've feel like I've seen it before…"

Kakayu examined it closer and placed her fingers on her chin, trying to remember what she knew about it.

"Oh the giant blue one? I believe it's called...Obelisk…"

Mimiki's eyes widened.

"Obelisk the Tormentor?"

Kakayu snapped her fingers in confirmation.

"Yeah! That's it! How did you know? It's supposed to be a very rare card. I think Kaiba called it an Egyptian god card."

Mimiki stayed silent. She knew it. Marik had definitely gave her a brief explanation a long time ago when she gave him many cards as his birthday present to build first duel monsters deck. With the way he went on claiming that he would've beaten her easily with the cards if they existed, she knew that it was one of the most powerful monsters.

_'I can't believe that they're real duel monsters cards now…'_ she thought as she continued to stare at it.

It made her think about Marik again. During her birthday he had told her 'may you stand strong like Obelisk'. She smiled at how sweet he was. Mimiki didn't realize she was lost in her thoughts until she heard Kakayu calling out to her and she gasped.

"Mimi, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, sorry. I was just thinking of something, is all." she said assuring her. "I heard about Egyptian God Cards while we lived in Egypt. Where did he get it from, anyways? I know he's loves duel monsters and is rich and all, but geez! How much did it cost him? It must've cost him a small fortune. Not a lot of people know about them, but I guess they will now that he's planning this tournament."

Kakayu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right. To tell you the truth, he didn't pay a penny for it."

Mimiki gasped as her eyes widened. "Does he really have that much influence? Hell, I know that I can't afford the cards, but I'd at least like to get a good look at one since I've known about them for a while. He's so lucky!"

Kakayu chuckled as she continued on with her story. "I wouldn't say that he has influence, he got it for free from some lady at the museum. A new Egyptian art exhibit opened a as soon as you left for Egypt and she's in charge of it. It was all over the news. She called Kaiba when I was over at his office and personally invited him on live TV. Kaiba, Mokuba and I went there together after she called a few minutes after the live invitation."

_'Egyptian art exhibit? How bazaar that it opens up as soon as I left...and a personal invite, no less...Kaiba never showed interest in pretty much anything besides his company and duel monsters. I'm really curious now!'_ Mimiki thought.

"What? That's really random. Why would she just give it to him? Do they know each other really well? I wouldn't just give away a extremely rare card to just anyone."

'Especially not to that asshole…sorry, not sorry Kakayu!' she thought.

She knew that her cousin enjoyed Kaiba's company, but the most she could stand of him was at school. If she wanted to be around an asshole, all she'd have to do was go home and talk to her little brother since he liked to start fights with her.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing, but they've never met before until a few days ago. Ever since then, he started preparing for this tournament. I'm very surprised at how quickly he organized it, since he started planning it the day you and uncle Masahiro left for Egypt, now that I think about it. He had asked me to help out along with Mokuba as a commissioner."

Mimiki had a weird feeling building up in her chest. 'Hmm...interesting…this whole thing just feels so weird...I'll just ask her one more question. Maybe her answer will calm my nerves.' she thought while cupping her chin.

"Do you know anything about the lady that gave him the card?"

Kakayu looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember as much as she could. She remembered all of the amazing artifacts. She didn't think that there would be so many of them. The lady was a stunner too and Kakayu could feel the quiet power from her. She was actually a bit jealous that the woman could capture Kaiba's attention so quickly like that without little fail.

"She was very beautiful, I have to admit. She has piercing blue eyes, long black hair and is from Egypt. She had a quiet, yet powerful and mysterious aura to her. "

Mimiki's eyes widened as she kept thinking.

_'I only know one person that fits that description…but it can't be her, could it?'_ Mimiki waited anxiously for Kakayu to continue as her heart started racing.

"I think that her name was...Ishizu Ishtar."

Meanwhile, Yugi finished his dinner and bid goodnight to his grandpa, prompting him to seal himself inside his room. After changing his into his pajamas, he sat at his desk and sifted through his deck, with only the light of his desk lamp to aid him. He remained quiet until the spirit of the ancient pharaoh appeared next to him, studying his vessel. A lot had happened over the past week and it was nothing short of confusing and frustration.

First he was deceived by a fraud of a fortune teller, who happened to be Bandit Keith. After he stole his millennium puzzle, he was lured into a warehouse and was forced to duel to save the pharaoh. The duel proved to be very risky. Besides not having Yami there to help and guide him, Bandit Keith went crazy and proved that he had been under the spell of a millennium item. He grabbed the puzzle and smashed it to pieces. Yugi struggled to piece the puzzle back together, as he was too weak to pull the newly replaced chain from the copper rod that attached it to the dueling platform. Suddenly, Bandit Keith went stir crazy again and set the warehouse on fire. The fire grew stronger and proved too much to handle. During that time, he regretted replacing the rope string with a metal chain. Luckily for him, Joey, Tea, Bakura and Tristan were there to save them before he died of smoke inhalation.

Yami was also a bit startled by someone going through such great lengths to steal the puzzle and about not knowing much about his past. Yugi asked Tea to take him out and show him around the city to help him figure things out. She didn't think that she'd be much help, but she agreed. The outing started with getting coffee, going window shopping and going to see a movie. All went well until Tea ran into some trouble with the DDR King, Johnny Steps, at the arcade. He had challenged Yami to a duel in order to go out on a date with Tea. Of course, Yami had to show him who the King of Games was and defeated him. The last leg of the outing lead them to the Domino Museum to view the ancient Egyptian exhibit. There they met Ishizu, who told them about the stone carvings and his destiny and upcoming trials.

Although Yami was happy to know a bit more about his past, the evil that Ishizu spoke of didn't make him feel any better. After leaving the museum, they walked into a crowd of people downtown and also ran into Mai. She teased Tea about being on a date with Yami, but Tea protested that it wasn't a date. Afterwards, Kaiba announced his tournament. He knew that he had to enter the tournament to fulfill his destiny and with his friends by his side, they could do anything.

After Yugi stopped shuffling through his cards, Yami spoke up. "Yugi, this tournament will bring about a new evil like we've never faced before. Thank you for helping me through this. You and Joey will be a great asset."

Yugi looked to the spirit and smiled. "Yes! We'll give it all we got!"

"Yes. I'm confident that we will. I'm glad that Tea and Tristan will be joining us as well. We should also contact Mimiki. She's a great duelist and I know she would do well in the tournament."

Yugi looked at his new duel disk and looked back at Yami. "Yeah! I'll give her a call. She should be back from her trip now. I hope that I won't be bothering her."

In the middle of the ocean inside of a yacht, a cloaked man walked into a bedroom and closed the door behind him. He grunted as he sat in his desk chair and removed his hood. Marik's face was fully visible now and he ran his hands through his platinum blonde hair. His lavender eyes held a glimmer of excitement in them as he looked out of a nearby porthole that captured the darkness of the ocean perfectly. Tomorrow was the start of the Battle City tournament and he couldn't wait to get the rest of his plans started. Earlier, he had sent out his Rare Hunters to scout for rare cards to add to his vast collection. They would definitely come in handy the next time he would duel the pharaoh and his vessel. His last plan didn't work against them. Bandit Keith was a total waste! He knew that he had to do better than that, no matter if Yugi won that duel and escaped by a fluke.

He sent out one man, Seeker, with copies of a powerful monster. He smirked as he could see Yugi fall in defeat once his Rare Hunter dueled him. It was all he could think about to keep his mind off of something else that had plagued his soul for years. Keeping his mind from those negative thoughts and memories, he decided to retire for the evening to be well rested for the next day. Before he could lift himself from the chair, there was a knock at the door. It made his blood pressure spike. He told his Ghouls not to bother him while he was in his bedroom, especially if it wasn't important. It was the only place on the yacht where he could have some privacy. He tried his best to prevent himself from being in a foul mood and this wasn't helping him.

"This better be good!" he yelled as he looked towards the door.

A tall, burly man that was wearing a black cloak similar to Marik's had stepped in and bowed to the young Ishtar.

"Master Marik, pardon my intrusion at this hour."

Marik's temper subsided quickly.

"It's just you, Odion. What is it? You know how I feel about being interrupted while I'm in my living quarters."

The older man nodded in understanding.

"Yes Master Marik, I'm aware. But I think that the information that I have for you will assist you greatly during our stay in Domino while you pursue the pharaoh." he stated.

Marik watched closely as Odion presented him with a tablet. Marik took it from him and proceeded to enter the password. He gasped at the provided information and froze. He could hear his heart beating a mile a minute. His hand started to shake a bit and he looked at Odion obviously perplexed. Odion gave him a solid nod before speaking. Over the years, he's seen how Marik tumbled down the path of darkness. Once he discovered this information, he prayed to the gods that this would help Marik see the light again.

"She's listed in the Duelist Database. She's in the city, sir."

All of his memories of her rushed back to him, all the way to their heartbreaking separation at the airport three and a half years ago. He didn't think that she'd be in Domino. He had forgotten about it due to him planning heavily to defeat Yugi.

"She's not registered for the tournament, but don't worry, Master Marik. I will send someone out to scout for her if you wish."

_'Hmm...that's not like Mimi...she loved duel monsters and would try to beat me whenever she had the chance...no matter...I'll find her regardless.'_

"I don't trust anyone to do this except for you, Odion. When we arrive in Domino tomorrow, you will go and find Mimi and contact me when you do. I'll handle the rest from there."

Odion nodded with a serious face and bowed.

"Yes Master Marik. I won't fail you."

Marik excused Odion from his room. He looked out of the porthole again, dreaming of the reunion that he's wanted for so long. Along with the defeat of the pharaoh, this would be the icing on the top of his cake.

_'Mimi...at last...you're finally within arm's reach! We can finally meet again!'_


	2. Welcome to Battle City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A scene from this chapter will be posted soon on my DeviantArt. More art will be uploaded along the way. Also for the sake of this chapter, I've only written out one duel in particular. Right now, I plan on writing summaries of future duels and/or adding tidbits of them since they're not main focus of this story.
> 
> Please note:  
>  _'text'_ \- thoughts/thinking  
>  _\- talking via mind link_

Mimiki's heart skipped a beat.

_'Ishizu Ishtar?'_

Mimiki didn't know what to think. She was elated. If Ishizu was here, maybe there was a chance that Marik and Odion were with her too? She couldn't believe how close her dream was to becoming a reality. She had become quiet, but Kakayu could see the excitement in her eyes. Mimiki then became skittish and started smiling widely.

"Mimi, are you okay? You're doing a 180 here."

Mimiki calmed down and smiled. "Yes, I'm okay! I'm more than okay. Don't worry about me, everything is going to be just fine!" she assured her with a smile.

Kakayu shot her a strange look as Mimiki started to play with her hair and was blushing slightly. She hadn't seen her act like this in a long time.

"Why are you acting like that? You're blushing!"

Mimiki blushed harder and had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Kai! You have no idea how happy you've made me!"

Kakayu grew more confused. "I made you happy how…?"

Mimiki quickly grabbed the picture frame and showed it to her. "Don't you get it? Ishizu is Marik's older sister! If she's here, Marik must be with her! I can't believe it!" she said jumping up and down on the bed. Kakayu couldn't help but smile at her. She hadn't seen Mimiki this happy in a long time and wished the best for her. Mimiki finally settled down and placed the picture back on the nightstand.

"Anyways," she started. "The tournament sounds fun. I guess I'll be cheering Yugi and Joey on again since I came back too late to register for the tournament. I should give them a call so we can meet up tomorrow. Too bad that you can't compete either. It would've been nice to go head to head with you at an official tournament."

"Who said anything about not competing? I' am competing!"

Mimiki gave her a confused look. "But you're a commissioner! Aren't you supposed to be working instead?"

Kakayu smirked. "So what? Kaiba is hosting the tournament and he's competing. He has no qualms about me joining in on the fun as well and you should too! And for the record, I'd kick your ass, hands down." she said, winking.

Mimiki smirked and rolled her eyes. "Sure you would." she replied sarcastically as Kakayu smirked.

"You know that we can leave now and go to the nearest shop and register you in the tournament. We have until about 8 pm until the shops close."

Mimiki yawned as she waved her hand in objection. Kakayu scoffed. "Come on, Mimi! You love duel monsters and you didn't compete in the last one! Have some fun during Battle City!"

Mimiki yawned again and shook her head. "Thanks Kai, but I'm just going to sit this one out. I'm still suffering from jet lag. I'll compete next time, I promise!"

Kakayu crossed her arms and gave her sly smirk. "You don't want to go because you want to spend all of your time with Marik!"

Mimiki blushed and twiddled her fingers bashfully. "Yeah…but I promise that I'll compete next time, okay?"

"No! Let's go now! Forget your jet lag! It's not like you've never experienced it before. Besides, if this Marik guy is as sweet and kind as you described, I'm sure that he won't mind you partaking in a few duels. Hell if he's here, he might've signed up too!"

Mimiki yawned again and wiped a tear from her eye. "I love how you make jet lag sound like it's something to you can shake off easily. Come on, Kai! I'm tired!" she argued.

Mimiki quickly laid down again and threw a pillow over her head. Before Kakayu could give her rebuttal, the sound of Mimiki's phone interrupted them. The familiar ringtone signaled that it was Yugi calling. Kakayu quickly grabbed the phone before Mimiki could and answered it.

"Hey Yugi!"

Yugi jumped in surprise. "Kakayu? Is that you? I thought that I called Mimiki."

She smiled widely as she kept Mimiki from grabbing the phone away from her. The jet lag had the poor girl struggling horribly against her more athletic cousin.

"You did, but I answered the phone for her. Listen Yugi, you've got perfect timing! The Princess here is being lazy and doesn't want to leave the house to sign up for the tournament. Tell her that she should get off her lazy ass and sign up so she can join us!"

Mimiki gasped angrily with narrowed eyes. "I didn't say that you liar!" she said as she continued to struggle.

Yugi laughed as he heard their struggle over the phone. He was no stranger to their fights and found them amusing.

"Actually, that's why I was calling her."

Kakayu's smile grew a mile wide. "Yes! That's perfect!" She then turned to Mimiki who was still struggling. "Yugi was calling you to see if you were going to enter the tournament!"

"I don't believe you!" Kakayu quickly switched the phone to speaker. "Say it again so she can hear you Yugi!"

Mimiki stopped in order to hear Yugi. "It's true, Mimiki. I was calling to see if you going to enter the tournament. Joey and I have already signed up earlier today and Tea and Tristan are coming along. It'd be great if you joined us!" he said cheerfully.

Mimiki looked at Kakayu. The girl grinned and winked at her before Mimiki sighed in defeat. She was clearly outnumbered and she couldn't say no to a sweet boy like Yugi.

_'I guess I don't have a choice…'_

"Okay! I'll go sign up later this evening!" Kakayu cheered loudly, much to Mimiki's chagrin and Yugi let out a small chuckle.

"Great! We're leaving for the city at 10 tomorrow. Meet us at the shop, okay?"

"Roger that!" she said as she saluted.

They said their goodbyes and Mimiki tried to glare at Kakayu as she yawned. "Since you've interrupted my nap, you can at least help me pick out an outfit and hairstyle for tomorrow for when I meet Marik!"

"That's fine with me! We'll hurry and pick it now and leave right afterwards! Tomorrow's going to be great!" she said excitedly as she walked to Mimiki's closet and opened the door.

"I can't wait to show you wait Kaiba has planned! Can't tell you yet, though. It's a secret!" she winked as Mimiki gasped. "Aww! You can't even tell me? But I'm your cousin!"

Kakayu motioned her hand over her mouth as if she was zipping it shut. "Sorry Mimi, but Kaiba made me promise. You know how he gets."

Mimiki sighed heavily. "Fine! I guess that I can wait until tomorrow…"

Soon the girls were sifting through the closet to find the perfect outfit.

The girls had finally picked out Mimiki's attire and made their way to the nearest card shop, Domino Card Stop, which was ten minutes away. They walked up to the counter and the cashier had adjusted his glasses and bandana before greeting them.

"Hello young ladies. How may I help you?"

"I'd like to sign up for the Battle City tournament and buy a duel disk please." Mimiki said.

"Okay. I need your name please." Mimiki nodded. "Mimiki Minami."

The man entered her name into the computer and his eyes widened. Mimiki quickly caught on and gave him a strange look before speaking.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

The man quickly fixed his face.

"No, nothing is wrong. I was just impressed that you've ranked so highly. A level 7, actually. You qualify for a free duel disk." he said before turning to his stock.

"Oh really? Cool beans!" she said as he handed her a duel disk box. Kakayu patted Mimiki on the back. "Congrats! I knew that you'd get a free one."

The cashier nodded as well and smiled at her. "Yes, congratulations! You'll be a hard opponent to beat in battle with your Dark Magician Girl card. You'll have a ton of rare cards before you know it!"

Mimiki shot him another look, this time a suspicious one.

"How'd you know that I have that card?!" she asked a bit harshly. Kakayu stopped her before the man had a chance to answer her question.

"That's one thing that's different about the tournament, Mimi. You have to ante up your rarest card to the winner. Kaiba has a database of all of the duelists that he knows and the ones who have participated in past tournaments. The data includes their rarest cards and their hometowns."

The cashier nodded in agreement. "Yes, she's right. Please take a look." he said as he turned the screen around for them to view. Mimiki relaxed a bit after reading her information.

"Hmm...okay. But isn't that an unfair advantage to know what cards other duelists have?"

"Yes, but it keeps lying down to a minimum." Kakayu replied. 'Supposedly...'

Mimiki continued to stare at her screen towards the Dark Magician Girl and smirked.

"I guess you have a point. Let's get some dinner and head home."

The two girls bid adieu to the cashier and exited the store. The cashier sighed in relief that Kakayu stopped Mimiki from issuing an onslaught of questions. The shop was empty and it was near closing time. He decided that it was the perfect opportunity to make a phone call. The man dialed a number and smirked evilly as his call was answered.

"Hey, I have a new target for you. A girl who possesses a Dark Magician Girl just left. I'll send you her information."

The cashier took a screenshot of her profile and sent the file. The unknown man's smartphone beeped as the email came through.

"Excellent! I just received your email. Master Marik will be pleased. I just defeated Joey Wheeler not too long ago. I will make quick work of this girl."

"Good to hear. Great work tonight." he said before hanging up.

He felt proud that he pulled his weight of targets for Marik and felt that Marik would reward him later. Little did they know that they were making a huge mistake by targeting her.

Mimiki and Kakayu walked out of the restaurant after having a small dinner. Mimiki was really excited about the tournament now after Kakayu explained the rules of the tournament. She had built two decks while they waited for their food. She was really confident about winning her future duels and was looking forward to also seeing the Ishtars again tomorrow. The two came to a crossroad.

The two cousins yawned in unison before laughing. "Well I'm heading home. Be safe on your way back Mimi. I'll see you tomorrow."

The sun had already set and hour and a half ago and they were both tired. Mimiki nodded. "Thanks Kai, you too! See you tomorrow!" she said with an excited smile, which didn't go unnoticed by Kakayu. Kakayu snickered. She hadn't seen her like this in a long time and it was nice to see her happy.

"Oh and when you find the time to break away from Marik, give me a call so I can meet him! I really want to meet the guy who's gotten you all wound up like this."

Mimiki smiled excitedly again and blushed a bit. "I will. I plan on showing him around the city when I see him."

Kakayu gave her a thumbs up and a wink. "Sounds like a plan! Good luck!"

Mimiki and Kakayu waved goodbye and Mimiki walked home, humming a cheerful tune. She couldn't believe her luck! She couldn't believe that Ishizu was in Domino, out of all places. She prayed and prayed that Marik was going to be with her. She daydreamed about their reunion. What would she say to him? What does he look like now? What would he say to her? So many questions ran through her mind.

_'How do you even prepare for something like this?! I'm excited, yet nervous at the same time! This is nerve wracking!'_

Then something suddenly hit her heart right then—negative thoughts.

_'It's been three and a half years...what if he doesn't love me anymore? What if he doesn't want to see me after the way I left him like that? What if he has a—'_

Mimiki quickly shook herself out of those thoughts. _'No! Our reunion will not be like that! We'll have a great time!'_

She then walked through the park and decided to take a shortcut through an alley. As she walked through the alley, she saw some hooded men blocking her from exiting. She tensed up a bit, but decided to not let that stop her from leaving.

"Excuse me, I need to get through."

The man didn't budge and Mimiki became irritated.

"Hello! I said that I needed to get through!"

The man snickered then chuckled. "You're not going anywhere for a while Mimiki Minami!"

Mimiki quickly became defensive and put on a brave face. There was no way she'd let them see her sweat. "What do you want with me?! Are you some kind of stalker?! If you touch me, I'll-"

"Save your breath, you feisty vixen!" he said, cutting her off. "It's clear that you've never met a Rare Hunter. We stalk our prey and take what we desire - in your case, your Dark Magician Girl. Now prepare to duel!" he said, sporting his duel disk to her.

Mimiki's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth. "How in the hell did you all know about my Dark Magician Girl?! You guys are a bunch of creeps! I'm not dueling you! Get out of my way before you regret it!"

The man wasn't phased by her tough persona. He was confident that Mimiki was going to be a total pushover. "I suggest if you want to get out of here in one piece, you'll do what we say and duel!"

The other hooded men surrounded her quickly. She knew that she had no choice but to give in to their demands. She narrowed her eyes at the leader.

"I guess that you're not giving me a choice, but no matter…" she said before her frown turned into a calm, confident smile. It was even a little scary. The leader sensed a change in her, but he didn't let her think that he was intimidated.

 _'For this, you're forcing me to bring out the big guns…it's your funeral!'_ she thought.

She removed the duel disk from the box and looked in her backpack to grab her newly constructed deck. She slipped it on her arm, placed her deck inside and the duel disk activated itself.

"You'll pay soon enough for challenging me. You don't know what you've gotten yourself into. I assure you that, Rare Hunter." she said with the same expression.

The Rare Hunter blew her off and activated his duel disk. "We'll see about that! Let the hunt begin!"

Their life points were set to 4000. They drew their cards and reviewed them. Mimiki smiled. She already had three cards in her hand that would put her on the road to victory.

"Ladies first!" she shouted. "Angelic Aqua Warrior (1900/1500) in attack mode!" A strong looking girl with long blue hair and eyes, tan skin blue clothes and white wings appeared on the field.

"Next I play a face down card; Holy Aqua Crystal! This is a gift to my warrior." she said smiling at her monster. The monster gave her master a smile of thanks and accepted the crystal. Her body glowed slightly, but there was no change, which made Seeker question the motive of a seemingly pointless move. "Next I play one card face down and end my turn."

The card appeared on the field and Seeker drew a card. "I play Graceful Charity. It allows me to draw three new cards and discard two! I place one monster face down in defense mode and end my turn."

The card appeared on the field. Seeker wasn't too happy with his current hand, but he had hope that his luck would change soon. Mimiki wasn't phased by his move. She did manage to summon a decently powerful monster in her first turn, after all. She drew her next card and smiled. She now had the monster card that would end it all, but she need to accomplish a little more before she could summon it.

"Some predator you are! Angelic Aqua Warrior attack with Moonlight Beam!" The monster gathered moonlight in her hands and shot the energy at the face down monster, destroying it.

Seeker wasn't impressed; he knew that Mimiki's end was coming and that there was no need to panic. "Now I summon Fairy Cheer Girl (1900/1500) in attack mode!" A little girl with blue hair and eyes appeared with her blue and purple butterfly wings. She sported a green and blue dress with matching boots and yellow pom-poms.

"According to Battle City Rules, I can attack you directly. Now Fairy Cheer Girl attack with Cheering Scream!" The fairy danced around and let out a loud scream towards Seeker and took his life points down to 2100. Mimiki smiled proudly. "Feeling the heat yet?" she asked.

Seeker smiled widely. "Not quite! I play another Graceful Charity!" he said before he drew three more cards. "Again?!" she questioned.

"Yes! A good hunter must acquire strong hounds to replace the weak ones!" He then discarded two more cards and placed one in defense mode. "I end my turn."

Mimiki started to grow annoyed with his repetitive tactics. She felt like she was playing with a child. She rolled her eyes and drew another card: Strike from the Heavens. _'Darn. That's not the card that I needed right now and it won't do me any good. Hopefully I'll draw it soon. Anyways, the show must go on until then!'_

She then looked up at Seeker. "I play my face down card Holy Aqua Crystal!" Once again, her Angelic Aqua Warrior accepted the gift, but there was no change. Seeker questioned her again.

 _'What is this girl doing? She keeps playing the same card with no effect!'_ Then he looked at his hand. 'I have three pieces of Exodia! All is I need is two more to end this duel before she tries to wipe out my life points with her two monsters! I can't let that happen! I won't fail Master Marik!' he thought as he looked back up at her.

"Fairy Cheer Girl! Attack his monster again!" The monster did as she was told and destroyed his face down monster. Mimiki felt confident suddenly.

"You know, you're dueling horribly right now for someone who's trying to relieve me of my rarest card. I'm feeling merciful, so I'm going to cut you some slack. I end my turn."

Seeker ignored her insult. "Your words don't scare me! I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

Mimiki gasped as the swords captured her monsters in a barrier. Seeker laughed, as he now had the upper hand.

"Now that I have a captive audience, I play another Graceful Charity!" Mimiki scoffed as he repeated the steps again and smiled. He now had four pieces of Exodia. _'I'm one step away from winning this duel!'_

"You should've attacked me when you had the chance! Now that I don't have to worry about your monsters attacking my life points, I end my turn!"

Mimiki glared at him and looked down towards her deck. She wasn't worried about the Swords of Revealing Light at the moment. She needed one more card to show Seeker that she wasn't one to mess with. She closed her eyes, sighed and prayed for good luck.

 _'Please Heart of Cards, let me draw that card right now!'_ she prayed. "My turn!" She took a deep breath and smiled. She drew the final Holy Aqua Crystal and her frown turned into a huge grin as she chuckled.

"What's so funny? Would you mind telling me what's so amusing? You still can't attack with my Swords of Revealing Light in play for two more turns!" Seeker shouted as they made eye contact.

"It was nice dueling you, but I'm afraid that your time is up, you creep! I'm ending this duel right now!" she declared before his eyes widened.

For some reason, he started to shake a bit and he couldn't figure out why. "You're lying! I have the upper hand!"

"We'll see about that! I play Strike from the Heavens! This magic card negates your Swords of Revealing Light!" A light shone through the sky and sent down a powerful strike of lightning, causing the Swords to disappear. Seeker watched angrily as Mimiki kept smirking.

"Now I think that we need some divine power to see how fitting of a punishment you should have for attacking me, don't you think? Let's put the baby to bed, shall we?" she said with a calm smile. Her confidence was too much for Seeker and it was starting to drive him mad.

"I play my final Holy Aqua Crystal!" she shouted as the card appeared on the field. Her warrior accepted the crystal and her body started to glow brightly. Seeker could feel fear rising in his chest and Mimiki could feel it. It made her feel warm inside.

"It's time to make you pay for your sins, Rare Hunter! Now that I've given my Angelic Aqua Warrior three crystals, I can sacrifice her and my Fairy Cheer Girl and summon this!"

She held up a card with an angel on it and placed it on the duel disk. Light formed in the sky and grew bigger until it burst and released many feathers upon the field. A smaller ball of light descended to the field and revealed a six winged angelic woman wearing a white and gold dress. She flashed a confident smile at the two duelists. Seeker and his group of Rare Hunters started to tremble greatly.

"What is this?! How do you have that card?! You're supposed to have the Dark Magician Girl!"

Mimiki smirked as she looked him in the eye. "You're right about thing. I do have the Dark Magician Girl. She was my trump card for a long time and she still is in other duels. I've only acquired this card recently. I was surprised that I found it myself, but I guess you can say that it found me." she said as they continued to tremble.

"Rare Hunters, meet my new rarest monster: Seraph Angel (3500/3800)!" The tan monster gave a curtsy. "If you didn't challenge me, I would've used Dark Magician Girl against you so you could see her power, but you played my hand!" She then boldly pointed a finger at him. "I told you that you would regret challenging me! Now Seraph Angel! Attack with Holy Barrage!"

The monster held her hand to the sky and sent down a barrage of arrows made of holy light upon the playing field. Seeker screamed as his life points dropped to 0. Mimiki looked up at her monster and smiled. "Thank you."

The monster returned the smile and disappeared. Mimiki looked over to the Rare Hunters. They had all, accept for Seeker, fainted from her last attack. She walked up to the wounded Seeker and grabbed the cards that were scattered around him.

"Ah I see. You were going to used Exodia against me? Haven't seen that monster in a long time." she smirked. She went in his deck to retrieve that last piece of Exodia. She quickly laughed at him.

"Aww poor Rare Hunter, you should've attacked me when you had the chance. You were only one card away from beating me!" she said in a mocking voice.

"Since we dueled using Battle City rules, I'll be taking this as my prize." she said as she placed the cards into her backpack before turning to him, staring him dead in the eye with anger.

"And if I ever see you again, it's going to be me and you, got it punk?!"

Seeker nodded in fear and Mimiki walked home. She was fired up and ready to start the tournament.

The next morning came too slowly for Mimiki. She got ready quickly and dressed into a light, flowy white shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts. She also put on matching jewelry, along with her moonstone necklace and a black headband. She sprayed a couple of spritz of her lotus flower perfume, grabbed her pink backpack with her deck inside and slipped into a pair of brown sandals. If she was able to see Marik again, she wanted to look her absolute best. She was happy that Kakayu helped her pick the perfect outfit. Lastly, she slipped her duel disk on her arm. She quickly ran out of the house to go meet Yugi and the others at the game shop. When she got there, she heard a lot of noise from upstairs.

"Hello Yugi! I'm here!" Yugi quickly ran down the stairs in a hurry, half dressed.

"Mimiki! I'm glad you're here!" he said in a panic as Mimiki gave him a confused look. "Yugi, what's wrong? If you're rushing to get to the tournament, we have a while before it starts. I thought we could all go out for breakfast beforehand…"

Yugi looked at her seriously; she didn't like that face. "There's no time for that! Joey went missing overnight and we have to find him!"

Tea ran inside as soon as he said that. She flashed Mimiki a quick smile before looking at Yugi. "Yugi! You're not even dressed yet! Hurry up so we can find Joey!"

Yugi quickly ran back upstairs to finish getting dressed. Tristan pulled up on his motorcycle to help and they were off to finding Joey. After an hour of searching, Tristan found Joey and took him to the hospital to be with his sister, Serenity. Tea and Yugi filled Mimiki in about what had happened while she was away. Serenity was scheduled to have her eye surgery and was frightened about the whole thing, so she asked Joey to be there for support. Unfortunately, Seeker ruined that last night. After Joey had arrived at the hospital and smoothed things over with his mother and sister, Serenity went ahead with the surgery.

Afterwards, Joey freshened up and joined Yugi, Mimiki and Tea at a plaza downtown. A lot of duelists had gathered at the there with determination in their eyes to win the tournament. Mai had also joined them shortly afterwards.

"Hey everyone!" Mai said as she waved at them. "Hello Mai. Long time, no see!" Mimiki said to her. Mai nodded back and noticed her duel disk.

"Same to you! I see you're competing this time! That's great! I'll finally be able to duel against a strong female duelist for once!"

Mimiki smiled happily at her. "You said it! Kakayu entered too so you'll have to deal with the both of us. We welcome the challenge!"

Mai nodded as she looked around at the competition. "This is a pretty big turnout for this thing: all losers!" Mimiki chuckled. 'Too bad most of them won't make it to the finals…' Mimiki thought.

"Well there are many duelists here that I've never seen before." Yugi commented.

"This is so exciting! I wonder whose ass I should kick first…" Mai said confidently. Familiar faces had appeared; Weevil, Rex and Mako. They all bickered and boasted how they would beat each other. The gang wasn't impressed by their performance and quietly sneaked away. The gang had found a place to sit in the plaza. Joey began to fill them in about how he was attacked the night before and had his Red Eyes Black Dragon stolen.

"Who exactly stole it from you?" Yami asked.

Mimiki noticed that Yugi had changed again. He had been the same way during Duelist Kingdom. Everyone had explained to her about the pharaoh that resided inside his millennium puzzle when Mimiki had became friends with them. She admired his strength and bravery and noted that he was attractive as well.

"Some goons! They call themselves Rare Hunters and they steal rare cards. I need the find him so I can win my Red Eyes back!"

"So you ran into them last night too, huh Joey?" she asked in a calm voice.

Everyone almost broke their necks when the turned to her. "They attacked you too?!" Joey asked. "Did they take your Dark Magician Girl?!"

Mimiki sported an evil snicker as the memories of her crushing Seeker entered her mind. Everyone noticed and Joey waved a hand in her face. "Uh Mims? You still there?"

"I crushed that punk and took his cards instead!" she said proudly.

"What?!" everyone shouted. Mimiki's expression changed to confusion.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? He attacked me on my way home from signing up for the tournament. He was acting so high and mighty about how he was going to beat me, so I had to let him know who he was dealing with." she said while stressing the last of her words. Mimiki was known to be a skillful duelist at the school and won just as many duels as Yugi, Joey, Kaiba and Kakayu. They were the elite five duelists in the school.

"Anyways, enough about me. I didn't know about your Red Eyes Black Dragon. I'm sorry. We need to find that Rare Hunter and get your card back. He looked hella shady, so it wouldn't be hard to find him around here. He is a Rare Hunter after all and we know what he looks like. The tournament should be starting soon."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "That's a great idea, Mims! Let's try that! Red Eyes! I'm getting you back!"

Mimiki smiled as his determination. Soon later, a large blimp with a large screen flew above the downtown area. Kaiba's face quickly occupied the screen with him sporting his trademark smirk.

"Greetings duelists. Welcome to Battle City! It's time to put your dueling skills to the test! I hope that none of your entered my tournament looking for friendly competition. Battle City is going to be an all out war!" he declared. "Before my Battle City Tournament begins, I thought I'd let you all know what you're getting yourself into in case you want to back out now. Let's begin with my new duel disks. Everyone who I thought was good enough to enter received one. With it, you can duel anytime, anywhere. There is also a GPS chip installed so I can watch every move you make!"

 _'Kind of stalkerish, isn't it Kaiba?'_ Mimiki thought.

"Now let's talk about the most important rule: the loser has to give up their rarest card to the winner. If you don't have the guts to risk your precious card, then you don't belong here! And anyone who's foolish enough can challenge me to a duel, because I'll also be competing in this tournament. But don't get your hopes up, because I intend to win! The finals will be held in a hidden location. You all have received one locator card with your duel disk. You will receive another one from your losing opponent. Six of them stacked together will create a map of Battle City and will activate a satellite that will transmit the location to you. Only one person will win and be titled the King of Games! Let the war begin!"

The crowd erupted into a huge roar. "Aw, look at that! Just in time for us to start hunting down that Rare Hunter! Let's go, guys!" Joey said.

Everyone started to follow along. Not too far from them, Seeker was sitting outside of a local cafe drinking coffee and inspecting other duelists' profiles on his laptop, looking for his next target. He took a sip of his black coffee and shuttered a little. Mimiki had given him nightmares. He didn't report his defeat to Marik. He didn't want to feel his wrath. Seeker resumed his attention to his laptop. A few minutes later, he spotted Yugi and the others. He took notice to Yugi's Dark Magician and Mai's Harpy's Feather Duster magic card. His eyes widened when Mimiki's profile was displayed on the screen with her Dark Magician Girl. He shivered again and almost dropped his cup of coffee. His anger also rose because he knew that the Dark Magician Girl wasn't her rarest card anymore. He thought of her as a rose with extra thorns.

_'She's friends with Master Marik's enemy! Shit! I don't want to have to deal with her again! Yugi will have to wait for now!'_

Mai separated from the group and Seeker tried to quietly sneak away before he got spotted. His quick escape was foiled when Joey spotted him.

"Hey! It's that bastard who stole my Red Eyes!" Joey quickly approached him with Mimiki and the others in tow. The rare hunter froze instantly.

 _'Shit! Shit! Shit!'_ he thought. He quickly got himself together and put up a front. "What do you want, Joey Wheeler? Have you come to have your ass handed to you again?"

Mimiki quickly stepped in front of Joey and frowned. "Well look at who it is! It's the punk from last night! I thought that I told you that it'll be me and you if I ever saw you again! You must want your ass handed to you again." Seeker gritted his teeth. He didn't want a reminder of last night.

"I heard you stole my friend's Red Eyes Black Dragon. I'd think it'd be best that you give it back now." she said with her arms folded, smiling. "Yeah! Give me back my Red Eyes, asshole! It's time to duel!" she said as she held up his duel disk. Seeker dismissed him and looked at Yugi.

"I have no interest in dueling you! I got what I wanted from you! I want your friend!" he said, pointing at Yugi. "I'll gladly take on the Duelist Kingdom champion and take his Dark Magician off his hands!" Joey's anger rose, since he felt disregarded and insulted.

"WHAT? This is between you and me!"

Yugi looked at him weirdly and noticed his attire. 'He's dressed just like Bandit Keith was when he stole my puzzle!'

Joey stepped in again. "Didn't you hear me?! I said this is between you and me!"

"Or you can go head to head with me again and I don't think that you'll like that!" Mimiki said.

Yami cut stepped in front of Joey and Mimiki. "I accept your challenge! If I win, you have to return Joey's Red Eyes!"

Seeker smirked. "Fine!"

"Yug! I can't let you do that!" he yelled in protest. Yami shook his head.

"Joey I have to duel him. Besides, I'll have to ante my Dark Magician sooner or later. It's okay and he's not giving us any other options to get your Red Eyes back."

Joey furrowed his eyebrows. "But Yugi! You don't know what he's capable of! He has-"

"Don't even think about telling him my strategy Joey Wheeler! If you do, I'll rip your Red Eyes to shreds! If I were you, I'd keep my commentary to myself!"

Joey gritted his teeth and balled his fists. He hated feeling helpless. The attitude from Seeker irritated Mimiki. "What strategy are you talking about, Joey? Are you talking about Exodia?" she whispered.

Joey's eyes widened. "Yeah! I have to tell him!"

"Don't worry, Joey. I took Exodia from him, see?" she said as she showed him the cards. Joey shook his head. "You don't understand, Mims! He has two more copies of that in his deck!"

Mimiki gasped and had to stop her outburst. "What?!" she whispered. Mimiki cursed under her breath. 'If I knew that, I would've been able to warn Yugi sooner! If we try to tell him, he'll rip up Joey's card. I hope that he'll be able to figure it out quickly. I guess that I can consider myself lucky during our duel last night. I hate to admit it, but if I didn't get the last crystal in time, I probably would've lost...' she thought. 'Good luck Yugi!'

The duel started and it all seemed Yugi wasn't going to figure out how to stop Seeker. A little later, he figured out that he had Exodia in his deck. He quickly dismantled the his deck and defeated him. Seeker's body flew back with Yugi's final attack using Beta the Magnet Warrior. He grabbed Seeker's deck and took back Joey's Red Eyes. He also found that his Exodia cards were coated with invisible ink and ripped them to shreds.

"I'll be taking your locator card as well, Rare Hunter." Yami said.

Mimiki then realized that she didn't receive a locator card from her duel with Seeker the night before. "Does he have another one because I didn't get mine from last night." she said to Yami. He then searched Seeker's belongings and didn't find one.

"I'm sorry Mimiki, but it appears that he doesn't have one."

He handed his locator card to Mimiki. "You can have this one. You did duel him first and won, after all."

Mimiki waved her hand in decline. "I can't take that, Yugi. You won that one."

"Are you sure, Mimiki?"

Mimiki nodded. "I'll have my chance to win more later. Thank you for your consideration, though." she said with a smile.

Yami returned her smile and turned to Joey to give him back his card, but they were quickly interrupted.

"I-I lost...I failed!" Seeker shouted.

Everyone turned their attention to him. He held his head in pain, screaming. "Please master! I'm sorry! Please don't me angry with me!"

The eye of Wdjat appeared on his forehead. Yugi instantly knew what was going on, remembering the experience he had with Bandit Keith a few days ago.

"We meet again pharaoh...oh how could I forget? We haven't met! You were trapped inside the puzzle last time I dueled Yugi!"

Everyone was stunned at Seeker's changed behavior. Joey walked up next to Yugi. "Yug...what the hell is going on with this nut job?" Joey whispered.

"I don't have time to deal with this weakling! I've taken over his mind and locked it away in darkness! Congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter! He was one of my weaker ones, though! The ones that follow after will be much more formidable, I assure you. I've waited for you for years! I'll finally destroy you!"

He then demonstrated his power by moving Seeker's body around like a rag doll. Everyone jumped back in shock and fear, some even ran away. "This is one fucked up situation!" Joey yelled after hiding behind Mimiki. Mimiki glared at Joey. "Why are you hiding behind me?!" she asked. _'Hell, I'm freaked out too!'_

The puppet show didn't phase Yami much and he glared at him. "How are you controlling him?!"

"Each of the millennium items has its own special ability. My millennium rod has the power to control minds! Isn't mind control a beautiful thing?"

Yami gnashed his teeth. 'Is this the great evil that Ishizu warned us about?' Yugi thought. "You're mad! What do you want from me?"

"I'm a holder of a millennium item, just like you...a god card is on the loose and if you come across it, I'll destroy you with it! Beware pharaoh!"

Yami's eyes had narrowed. His speech struck a chord inside Mimiki and she quickly made herself known.

"Remember my name! Ma-"

"Hey!" Mimiki shouted. Everyone looked at her.

"How do you know all of this?! Only certain individuals with knowledge of ancient scriptures and who own millennium items only know about those cards! Who do you think you are?! I've had just about enough of you!"

Marik turned his attention to her and saw her through Seeker's eyes. His heart stopped for an instant.

"You're a sorry excuse for a man and duelist! First you attack Joey, then me and now Yugi! I'm glad that I kicked your ass in our duel last night, but I should kick it even harder for threatening my friends!"

He couldn't believe it. She looked a little older, just like she did in her Battle City profile picture. She grown into a beautiful young woman. He knew that scowl on her face from the past. Yami noticed how he couldn't take his eyes off of her and stood in front of Mimiki to defend her.

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it! I won't let you touch my friends! You've done enough by making your Rare Hunter duel Joey and Mimiki!"

Marik ignored his words. He had seen her figure, her tan skin, those curvy hips, long legs and beautiful blue eyes and hair. He felt like he didn't know her, but he knew in his heart that it was his best friend standing there and he wanted nothing more but to reach out to her and hold her in his arms again.

"Are you listening to me Rare Hunter?! Tell me your name!"

Marik snapped out of his trance. "You don't order me around pharaoh!" he snarled.

Then Yami's words came back to him. He looked at Mimiki again. He temporarily brought Seekers mind back and saw the pathetic man staring fearfully at him. An image of Mimiki appeared in the shadows next to them.

 _"Did I hear the pharaoh say that you dueled this girl?"_ he asked in a low, angry tone as he pointed to her picture. Seeker started to shake again, remembering his defeat at her hands and nodded.

 _"Yes...I was told that she had a rare card that would be an excellent addition to your collection Master Marik…"_ he explained.

_"Did you obtain her rarest card?"_

Seeker didn't want to inform him of his defeat and explain that he lost the chance to win her card, but he knew that there was no escape for him. Failure was never an option for Marik.

 _"I'm waiting!"_ he roared, eyes widened. If Seeker had hurt his Mimiki, there would be hell to pay. Seeker noticed the rage in Marik's eyes. He couldn't help but wonder why Marik was inquiring about her, but he didn't question him. He was in enough hot water as it is.

_"N-n-no Master Marik...she defeated me right before I could summon Exodia...I didn't mean to fail you, honest!"_

Marik sported an angry frown. _'I'm pissed that he lost, but if he dueled Mimi, I'm not surprised. She always managed to one-up me when we dueled. I'm glad to see that she hasn't changed in that aspect.'_ he thought.

Marik's anger shot up again as he raised his rod. He would make sure that no one would harass her, not on his watch. _"You had made a huge mistake by dueling her! I'll make an example out of you! You'll never see or touch her again!"_

Everyone watched as Seeker let out a blood curdling scream before Marik took control of him again. He shifted his eyes from Mimiki to Yami again before giving her one last smile. Mimiki stepped back a bit, disturbed that he would smile at her in that manner.

"Enjoy the game while it lasts, pharaoh! Your reign is coming to an end! Let the game begin! I look forward to playing with you..."

Marik released Seeker and he fell to the ground. A chill went up Mimiki's spine. "You guys...why did that creep keep staring and smiling at me?" she asked in a worried tone.

"I don't know, but he won't be messing with us again." Yami stated.

Mimiki sighed. "I hope you're right."

An awkward silence fell upon them as the crowd dispersed.

"Why don't we go get some lunch? I'm sure that we'll feel better after we eat. Then we can watch you all compete in some more duels. Is that okay?" Tea asked.

Everyone nodded in agreement and started walking around to find something to eat. Yami walked behind Mimiki and observed her closely. He and Yugi wondered how she knew so much about the ancient scriptures and the Egyptian God Cards. It sounded closely to what Ishizu had told him and Tea not too long ago about his new adversary. Yugi's spirit appeared next to him and walked along side him.

_"How did she know all of that? Do you think she knows Ishizu?"_

_"I'm not sure, Yugi. She did live in Egypt after all, but there's a lot of people there, so the chances of them knowing each other are slim…"_ the spirit responded.

_"Yeah that's true, but Mimiki's never told us everything about her time in Egypt. Every time we brought it up, especially when she first came back, she became sad while talking about it. After a while, I stopped bringing it up unless she did or the situation called for it..."_

Yami stayed silent as they walked and thought about Yugi's words.

_"You can't blame me for questioning this. It's just ironic how she knew all of that. She couldn't have gone to the museum. She just got back from her trip yesterday."_

_"I don't blame you for questioning the situation, Yugi. Let's just keep an eye on her. Our new enemy seemed pretty interested in her and I don't like how he was staring at her."_

They watched as she walked ahead with Tea. He could feel her trying to hide her discomfort. This was going to be interesting tournament to say the least.

After Marik had disposed of Seeker's mind, he called a "mental" meeting with the rest of his Rare Hunters. He connected their minds with the Millennium Rod. Images of them appeared around them, bowing at Marik's feet. Marik wasted no time in speaking.

 _"Listen you bastards!"_ he roared.

Everyone cringed. They knew that something went wrong and was hoping not they weren't next on Marik's totem pole of fury. He was never keen on failure and mistakes. The Rare Hunters sat for a moment and thought about what had brought upon Marik's wrath.

_"I disposed of your colleague's Seeker's mind to the Shadow Realm. The crime: attacking this girl!"_

An image of Mimiki had appeared before them. Some thought that she was quite attractive, which sent Marik's blood pressure to the roof.

 _"Don't get any ideas!"_ he screamed, sending fear down their veins. "Do NOT touch this girl! Don't even think about approaching her! She has an important role in my plans and if I EVER find out that ANY of you went against my orders, I'll fucking kill your ass on the spot! Am I clear?!" he asked with venom in his voice, his eyes imitating those of a snake.

Everyone nodded in fear. He had never talked to them this furiously before and didn't want to question it. _"Yes Master Marik!"_

Marik quickly broke the mind link. His mind raced with Mimiki running neck and neck with his plans to kill Yami. At that moment, he wanted to be with her right then and there. A small part of him wanted to give up his quest altogether and stop it all for her, but a bigger part of him told him to keep going no matter what. His heart ached, but he eventually brushed it off.

_'Mimi's involved in this now...there's no changing that. I'll make sure that she stay's out of harm's way and focus on the pharaoh and his vessel. She doesn't know that I'm calling the shots, so reuniting with her should be easy!'_

Marik smirked evilly as he thought about the rest of his plans.

"Things might've been delayed, but the show must go on! It's time to contact Pandora…"


	3. A Word Between Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:  
>  _ **text**_ \- text message

The gang decided to eat at a small lunch at a small family restaurant called Coco's. Various foods and drinks littered the table. Joey and Tristan ordered a couple of pizzas, Tea ordered a salad, Yami ordered curry rice, and Mimiki ordered seafood gratin. While eating, they decided to talk about the events that had transpired so far.

"Okay so we know that there's a man that sends out brainwashed punks to steal rare cards from other duelists." Tristan stated. Everyone nodded between bites.

"And he also has a millennium item like Yug does. It also seems like he wants to duel Yug with a god card." Joey stated before he took a bite of his pizza.

"And we know that there is a new evil that Yugi needs to defeat, according to the woman we met at the museum the other day, right Yugi?" Tea asked as she looked at him.

Yugi nodded in response. "So the question is what do we do next? His intentions were kind of vague..."

Everyone sat in silence again. A lot of people had entered the tournament and twice as many people had come to watch. It would be hard to go and find their mystery man and his goons.

"We should let them come to us. Then we can take them on one by one. Besides, he already kinda warned Yug about coming across a god card." Joey suggested. "There are more duels to be won in the meantime. Yug, Mims and I can win some more to get the locator cards to get to the finals!"

"Hopefully we can all make some sense of this mess and go from there." Mimiki added after eating another spoonful of her food.

"Yes, that sounds good." the spirit chimed in. "We can participate in more duels together." he stressed while looking towards Mimiki. "Anyone can accompany us of course, if they wish to watch."

Yami was hoping that she'd agree go with them to ensure her safety. He felt uneasy after seeing how that Rare Hunter was staring at her and it didn't sit well with him at all. He didn't want his friends to get involved any more than they already have. But why would he look at her like that? Everyone else was there, but the attention was only directed at Joey, Yami and Mimiki, and she wasn't even directly involved in the duel. She did enter the tournament upon his request and she had a rare card just like anyone else. It was already proven that the Rare Hunters weren't above attacking female duelists.

Tristan and Tea decided to tag along with Joey for the rest of day. Mimiki didn't respond to the spirit's suggestive comment, as she seemed to be looking down, lost in deep thought.

"Mimiki, did you hear me?" he asked sternly. Mimiki jumped and looked up quickly. Her attention was being occupied by her smartphone. Yami's stern voice didn't go unnoticed and everyone questioned it internally.

"Are you going to come with one of us and duel together?" Yami asked.

"Oh no, sorry. I'm going to meet up with some old friends after lunch. Sorry Yugi."

Yami stiffened a bit and groaned mentally, but still put on a calm front. "It's alright Mimiki. But please be careful and be aware of your surroundings. I wouldn't want another Rare Hunter to attack you."

"Yeah Mims, be careful!" Joey said.

Mimiki smiled at their concern. "Thanks guys. I'll be fine, I promise! I can handle my own, remember?" she stated. "Besides, I won't be alone." she said with a sweet smile.

The spirit didn't like her response, but he accepted it. He knew that she was a good duelist, but he still couldn't shake the bad feeling he had about their episode with Seeker. Battle City had him more riled up than he thought and he feared that this was just the beginning.

"Alright, if you say so Mims, but check in, okay? We can't have you all battered up before the finals!" he said while winking.

Mimiki gave him a playful smile. "I promise that I'll check in."

Mimiki quickly finished her food and pulled out her wallet before standing up.

"I'll call you all later." she said waving goodbye. "Good luck with your duels in the meantime!"

"You too!" they all replied, waving back at her.

She paid for her meal and started walking quickly as she left the restaurant. Marik was heavy on her mind and she was anxious to see him.

Mimiki made her way to the museum and walked in. It was like a ghost town inside due to the tournament and only a couple of older patrons were there. She looked around for the Egyptian exhibit and was led down a long corridor until she came face to face with three large stone slabs. Mimiki felt nostalgic as she looked at them, remembering how Marik had shown her the various ancient art that adorned the walls in his home. Thinking of him again made her smile gently. The thought of her being only moments away from reuniting with him made her heart soar. She quickly pulled a compact mirror from her backpack and checked her appearance.

 _'Make-up...good! Hair...good! Teeth and breath...great!'_ She was ready to see him and couldn't wait to leap into his arms in a loving embrace. She wondered often how'd he grown these past three and a half years. He was cute as a button back then, but she could only imagine what he looked like now. Her daydreaming was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"I've been expecting you, Mimiki."

Mimiki turned to the voice and met Ishizu's eyes. She stood at the entrance of the corridor and gave her a smile. She looked the same as she did in the past, with those piercing blue eyes and long raven hair. She wore a nice white and black dress with gold designs adorning the hem of the long, flowing sleeves, along with a small golden headdress with a green jewel in the middle. She blushed a bit as she stared in awe.

_'Kai was right! She's more beautiful than before!'_

"Ishizu? Wow...is it really you?"

Ishizu chuckled. "Yes, it is I."

Mimiki quickly ran up to her and gave her a big hug. Ishizu returned the hug and smiled again, taking in the young girl's appearance.

"My, look at how you've grown Mimiki! I can't believe it's been three and a half years since we've last seen each other. You look very nice!"

Mimiki smiled and blushed bashfully.

"Thank you! I've missed you! What are you doing here? I just came back from Egypt yesterday looking for you guys!"

She quickly looked around the room, observing that they were the only people occupying the room.

"Where is everyone? Where's Marik and Odion? Are they here or did they step out to watch the duels?" she asked while looking around again, her anxiousness very obvious.

"You have no idea how much I've been waiting for the chance to see you all again, especially Marik!"

Ishizu gave her a half smile. She could see that she was still as excitable as she was three and a half years ago. She was happy to see Mimiki again as well, but she knew that the positive emotions of their reunion was about to be tossed out of the nearest window.

"I arrived here about a week ago. I've missed you too, Mimiki. Your departure was so sudden. A lot of things have changed since you left Egypt…"

Mimiki caught on to the tone in her voice and she felt like someone had stabbed her in.

"What do you mean? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Follow me, Mimiki. Let's have a little chat in my office. We have a lot to talk about...a word between friends, if you will." she stated before turning away from her and leaving her behind.

Mimiki's heart started to beat rapidly, her gut feeling telling her that something was wrong. She followed Ishizu to her office down another corridor. Ishizu motioned for her to sit in a rather comfortable leather chair and offered her some water that she politely accepted. Mimiki fidgeted in the chair a bit. Her heart was still racing and she had a feeling that she didn't want to hear what Ishizu was going to say.

She tried to take her mind off of the impending conversation by looking around the small office. A medium sized bookshelf sat beside the desk against the wall in the corner. A tall potted plant sat next to a black mini fridge that Ishizu was currently pulling their beverages from. Ishizu quickly grabbed the bottled water and opened a big window next to the bookshelf on the adjacent wall. She placed Mimiki's water in front of her and sat down in her chair. Mimiki nodded her head in thanks and took a large sip of a water while Ishizu took a small sip of tea that she had a little earlier in the day before speaking.

"Mimiki, I know that you still feel uneasy about this, but I'm going to ask you; how did you feel when the Rare Hunter made you uncomfortable today?"

Mimiki almost choked on the water. "How did you know that happened?!" she asked quickly, her heart skipping a bigger beat than before. Her eyes followed Ishizu's hand as touched her necklace.

"You have a millennium item…just like Yugi and Pegasus...and that guy that threatened Yugi..."

She cringed at the thought of Pegasus and the power of his millennium eye. It was bad enough that the bastard was stealing people's souls and placing them into trading cards and that he could read minds. Kakayu was worried sick over Kaiba and Mokuba during that tournament. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy task to console her during that crazy tournament. The millions of phone calls and texts from her nearly drove Mimiki insane. That man was just downright creepy. Now their mystery man could control minds and bodies with his millennium item.

"Yes, Mimiki. My necklace helps me see into the past and future. I knew that you were going to come here after your lunch with your friends. I know that you really want to reunite with my brother. Afterall, it's only natural that you do since it's been so long since you two have enjoyed each other's company."

"Yes, very much so! I can't tell you how much I've missed him!" she said with a smile, hope building up in her heart.

"I apologize, but he's not here with me." Mimiki's heart sank a little.

"Oh? When will be back?"

Ishizu sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew that this conversation was coming soon enough, but it didn't prepare her any more to talk to her about it. It actually gave her a small headache just thinking about it.

"Mimiki...Marik had changed a lot since your departure. Ever since you left, he was very depressed. You were his best friend...his only friend, actually. Marik had been going through some trauma before we met you and that, along with depression and heartbreak, has sent him over the edge."

Mimiki's eyes widened as she felt like time had stopped and that her heart was sinking into a black hole. Tears began to form and she started to shake.

"W-what? What are you saying? W-w-what do you mean over the edge…? He's not-he didn't commit—"

Ishizu quickly cut her off before she assumed the worst and went on to explain how Marik had changed. He had become violent, ruthless, withdrawn and uncaring. She then explained how he came to seek revenge against the pharaoh, how he stole the god cards and how Odion is working under his command.

"That Rare Hunter you had met earlier was under Marik's control. He was speaking through him by exercising the power of the millennium rod."

Mimiki gasped at the information. "You mean Marik saw me already? That's why that creep kept staring at me?" she asked, remembering how she felt during the situation. Ishizu nodded.

"Yes. I know that this is a lot to take in, but I need your help. Ever since you left, he's been wanting to see you. I'm aware of his true feelings for you, Mimiki. He cares about you deeply. I need to save him and I know that you can help."

The dam broke and Mimiki started to cry. "It's...all my fault…it's all my fault!" she said as she covered her face. Ishizu felt bad, but saw this in her vision beforehand. She knew that Mimiki was going to blame herself. She quickly went to Mimiki's side and rubbed her shoulder.

"Please don't cry, Mimiki. Your departure was out of your control."

Mimiki knew that she was telling the truth, but she couldn't help but feeling that it was still her fault. She felt awful and hadn't felt this way since received the news that she had to leave Egypt. Ishizu handed her some tissue and waited for her to calm down.

"Please assist me in knocking some sense into him and aid the pharaoh during this time. I know that this task will be overwhelming for you and I admit that it's a lot to ask for, but I know that by working together, we can help Marik! I'm certain of it! Please be strong for him!"

Mimiki cleaned her face and nodded, eyes stinging from her hot tears.

"I'll do all I can to help him. I still feel responsible for his current behavior. What can I do to help him?"

Ishizu paused for a minute. She wanted to tell her the other reason behind Marik's revenge plot and the underlying danger, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her just yet. She decided to tread lightly. She wanted Marik to tell her instead. She didn't want his dark side to grow any more than it already has. Ishizu knew that Marik would never hurt Mimiki, but she was unsure about his dark side.

"I request that you just be there for Marik and when he becomes really angry, you need to calm him down. Convince him to stop his evil plans. His feelings for you should help sway him to the right path."

Mimiki felt a little uneasy about the request. She didn't like the idea to use his feelings for her to manipulate him in that manner, but he had to be brought to reason.

"Okay. I'll do my best. I'll make sure that we'll be able to see him smile happily again and free him from his demons."

Ishizu gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you Mimiki. I really appreciate your help." She took another sip of her tea.

"Right now, your involvement in this is between us. When the time comes that the pharaoh discovers our secret, I will defend you. Please try your best to maintain a strong front."

Mimiki's heart sank again at her words. Yami was already irritated at Marik's antics and this was just the beginning. He would surely hate her for being involved with his newfound enemy. And what about the others? She was sure that they would hate her too, especially when they find out that her and Marik have history with each other.

'And what about Kakayu? She knows of Marik, but right now I'm pretty sure that she doesn't know what's going on...I hope that she won't turn on me too…I can't keep her out of this, especially now that Kaiba has a god card now. I'm sure that Marik will want to take it back from him by any means necessary...if he even knows that Kaiba has it...I hope for their sake that he doesn't!' Mimiki felt overwhelmed in her current predicament and closed her eyes for a minute, wishing that this was just a bad dream...but she knew that this was reality. She then let out an exasperated sigh.

"I know what you're thinking. The pharaoh, your friends and your cousin won't hate you, that I'm confident of. When Marik is brought back to the light, they'll understand."

She took another sip of her tea and looked back to Mimiki, who was staring at her with worried eyes. She felt bad for getting her involved, but it was inevitable, especially since she was friends with Yami. She knew that Marik was going to find out that Mimiki was in the city sooner or later and it wouldn't be very long until they met face to face once more.

"Now in order to help Marik, you're in need to gain locator cards, correct? You won't get to the finals by worrying about our predicament. I encourage you to participate in some more duels. The finals will be here before you know it and that's when the real battle will begin."

Mimiki nodded in agreement. She stopped sulking and looked at her duel disk.

_'This is no longer just a game! I have to get to finals to save Marik and help Yugi! This is not the time to wallow in self-pity! I have to be strong for his sake!'_

She then glanced at her deck and closed her eyes. _'Please help me get to the finals, my faithful deck!'_

Mimiki placed the bottled water in her backpack and turned to Ishizu. "Thank you for your hospitality, Ishizu. I'm going to take your advice and go win some locator cards. There's no use crying over spilled milk."

Ishizu nodded in agreement and smiled. "Yes. I admire your resilience. I wish you good luck in your duels, Mimiki. I'll be praying for your victories. We'll be in touch, I promise."

Mimiki nodded and the two hugged again.

"Thank you for your support. I promise that I'll be at the finals! I'll see you later!" Mimiki bowed and left the office. Ishizu now sported a confident smile.

_'I know you will make it to the finals, Mimiki. With your support, I'm sure that Marik will see the light again.' ___

The sun stung Mimiki's eyes a bit as she stepped out of museum. The heat warmed her goose bumped body and she took a deep breath of fresh air. Although she expected to step out with Marik, it made her want to duel her heart out. She thought about finding another Rare Hunter to duel, but after some thought, she wasn't ready to face Marik yet. Her phone sounded off a familiar text tone, interrupting her thoughts. She read the message and viewed the picture.

_**From: Kakayu - Multimedia Message Attached** _

_**I won two locator cards so far! Halfway there! How are you faring?** _

Mimiki groaned. She was too far behind and she was sure that Yugi and Joey were progressing well. She was regretting that she didn't accept that locator card from Yugi when she had the chance. Then she started to reply to Kakayu's text.

_**Congrats Kai! I'm in the middle of searching for another duelist. I'll text you later!** _

She slipped her phone back into her backpack and walked down the stairs to the main street, looking for a duelist. Her search came to a halt when Rex Raptor stopped her, flashing her a flirty eye, mixed with confidence.

"Hello there, Mimiki! How are you doing in the tournament so far?"

Before she could answer, he cut her off by showing off three locator cards and it made her cringe. _'Damn! Even he's ahead of me! I gotta close this gap quickly!'_

"That's nice, Rex. Congratulations. Would you fancy a duel with me right now?"

Rex smirked and sported his duel disk.

"I don't see why not! I'll add another victory to my winning streak after I beat you!" he stated confidently. "I'll be on my way to the finals in no time!" Mimiki rolled her eyes and activated her duel disk.

"Great!" she replied sarcastically. A crowd started to gather around them as they drew their cards. A fire raged powerfully in her and she was determined to win—she had to for Marik's sake.

_'Okay...it's time to get this over with...I won't lose! Wait for me, Marik!'_

"Okay Rex...time to put this baby to bed shall we? Let's duel!"

::::::

"Now Dark Magician Girl and Angelic Aqua Warrior, attack his monster and wipe out the rest of his life points!" Mimiki declared.

The two monsters complied and shot a double attack at Rex, making him scream as the duel ended. The crowd gasped as the monsters disappeared. Everyone was impressed by both duelists and Mimiki gave hope to some of the novice female duelists in the crowd. She walked up to Rex as he was sulking about his defeat. She extended her arm for a handshake.

"That was a great duel, Rex. Thanks for the challenge!" she said smiling sweetly. Rex glared at her. He didn't know that she would be that tough to beat, but he should've known better. She was one of Yugi's friends after all.

"Challenge?! What are you talking about?! You used all of those magic cards to beat me! You didn't even break a sweat!"

She grabbed her flowing shirt and curtsied a bit, showing off a bit of her flat tan stomach. "They don't call me the Magic Princess for nothing." she said. At Domino High, she was known for her different strategies while she dueled. One was to use a hefty combination of magic cards to secure her victories and it didn't hurt that she learned a thing or two from watching Yugi duel with his Dark Magicians. And Rex was right. She was just being polite to Rex so she wouldn't make him feel bad. The duel only lasted 15 minutes.

"Now with that aside, I believe you owe this princess her prize. Your locator card and ante card please."

Rex reluctantly gave her his locator card and Hyozanryu (2100/2800). She smiled at her new diamond dragon card. She thought of it as a pretty, yet powerful dragon. Although she was happy that she added a new power monster to her arsenal, the only thing that she cared about at the moment was the newly obtained locator card.

_'Now I have two locator cards...it's time to find another duelist and quick!'_

She looked up at Rex and put on her most charming smile. "Don't sulk Rex. It was only one loss. I'm sure that you'll bounce back soon. You're not out of the game yet. Good luck! See ya!"

She walked away in search for another duelist. She felt bad for Rex. She glanced back at him, seeing him still seething. 'Sorry Rex, but I'm on a mission!'

Before she could get far, a young man and woman stopped her. They appeared to be around the same age as her and they were both sporting duel disks. The woman had long blonde hair, pale skin, green eyes and was wearing a pair of denim shorts with a pink tank top, and grey gym shoes. The man also had the same hair and eye color, but his long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He wore a pair of baggy brown cargo shorts and a green t-shirt. They sported a confident air and held up their duel disks. Mimiki could sense their smugness and it reminded her of Kaiba. _'I hope that they don't think that they're going to challenge me together...it's not a fair duel!'_

"Can I help you two?" Mimiki asked with a raised brow.

"We're the Takamachi twins! I'm Hikaru and she's Hikari. We were watching your duel over there with Rex Raptor. That was an impressive duel!"

"Thanks!"

"After seeing you, we want to duel you! Right here, right now!" Hikari said.

 _'I knew it…'_ Mimiki thought as she sighed. "I'd be happy to duel the both of you, but a two-on-one duel isn't fair. We can duel one at a time. There's no rush right? It's just the first day of the tournament."

The twin both held up three locator cards each and smirked. "We're on a roll and we don't want to stop now! I'm pretty sure that you can handle the both of us with the way you were dueling." Hikari said.

Mimiki was officially irritated by the twins. She felt like they were trying to back her into a corner, just like Seeker did last night. They all caught the attention of more spectators and they started to gather around them. Snippets of different conversations could be heard.

"Oh wow! Another duel!"

"It's that girl from before!"

"Are they doing a two-on-one duel? Let's watch!"

"Is that even fair? Will she be able to beat them?"

Mimiki pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. 'Great! Now we've attracted a crowd! How am I going to get myself out of this one? Too bad no one is with me to teach them a lesson!'

Her frustration was evident to the twins. "C'mon! What are you? Scared as shit? Don't tell me that you're bitching out!" Hikaru taunted.

Mimiki narrowed her eyes at him. _'Oh that does it!'_

"See here, asshole! I—"

"What are you? A fifth grader? Who talks to people like that?!" a familiar voice asked.

They all turned around to find Kakayu stepping out of the crowd walking towards Mimiki. She was wearing a red sleeveless shirt with a pair of dark denim shorts and black sandals. She noticed the confused look on Mimiki's face and smiled.

"Hey Mimi!"

"How the hell did you know where I was Kai?!"

Kakayu gave her a cheeky smile. "There's a GSP chip in your duel disk. All I had to do was track you down from my phone and presto! Here I am!"

Mimiki rolled her eyes. 'Damn! I forgot about that! If Kaiba came up with that duelist database, then why am I surprised about the GPS chip?' she asked herself. The twins grew irritated with Kakayu.

"Hey! You're interrupting something here!" Hikaru yelled. "Yeah! Who do you think you are!"

Kakayu turned to the twins and placed a hand on her hip and sported a confident smile as she flashed a badge reading 'KAIBA CORP - OFFICIAL BATTLE CITY COMMISSIONER.'

"I'm here to kick ass and play card games and I'm all out of ass! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kakayu Hikami, a commissioner of the Battle City Tournament and Mimiki's cousin."

A gasp was heard from the crowd and the two cousins smirked as the twin's mouths were wide open. Mimiki couldn't help but smirk at their reactions.

"It seems like you two are challenging her to an illegal duel. I should have you both disqualified for being total pricks but..." she said turning to Mimiki "I think that I can let this one slide and we show you two twins how to properly challenge someone and win a duel. What do you think, Mimi? Shall we show them what we can do?" she asked with a wink.

Mimiki's calm smile returned to her face and she could feel her confidence rising. The twins could feel the change in the air and felt a little scared.

"I think so too Kai! Small guns or big guns?"

"For the hell of it, I'm going to pull a Kaiba this time and say "big guns!" Mimiki smirked. "I love the way you think, Kai."

She slipped her trump cards into her deck and they activated their duel disks.

"Bring it on, Takamachi twins. Let's duel!"

::::::

Minutes later, Hikaru and Hikari felt toyed with. Mimiki and Kakayu had activated a handful of trap and magic cards. Now Kakayu and Mimiki had 6450 life points left while the twins had 6000 combined. Mimiki had her Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) and Angelic Aqua Warrior (1900/1500) on the field with one facedown card and Kakayu had Electric Fairy Warrior (1900/1500) and Alien Mother (2300/1500) on her side of the field along with a facedown card. Hikari had Gishki Ariel (1000/1800) with Gishki Natalia (1800/900) and Hikaru had Curse of Dragon (2000/1500) and Summoned Skull (2500/1200) on their side of the field.

"Now Summoned Skull! Attack her Dark Magician Girl!" Hikaru commanded. The monster gathered his big claws together and lightning had formed at his will and shot it at the Dark Magician Girl. Mimiki smirked.

"I guess that you forgot about my facedown card. Reveal Magic Cylinder!"

Dark Magician Girl took the cylinders and used them to absorb the attack and shot it back at the monster, destroying it. Hikaru gnashed his teeth and ended his turn. Mimiki drew her next card and smiled. She looked over at Kakayu and nodded. Kakayu understood and prepared herself.

"If you two don't mind, we'll be leaving very soon, so let's put the baby to bed, shall we?" Mimiki taunted as Hikari now joined her brother in gnashing her teeth.

"I play a magic card: my final Holy Aqua Crystal!" she said as the card appeared on the field. Angelic Aqua Warrior accepted the crystal and started to glow brightly, causing everyone but Kakayu to gasp.

"Then I sacrifice my monsters to summon My Seraph Angel (3500/3800)!"

Feathers fell to the playing field along with a ball of light which revealed the six winged monster. Everyone stared in awe of its power.

"Now Seraph Angel! Attack with Holy Barrage!"

The monster complied destroyed Hikaru's Curse of Dragon, leaving the twins with 4500 life points. The twins eyes had widened in horror as Hikaru was defenseless and they realized that Kakayu had yet to take her turn. They had no facedown cards to protect them.

"I end my turn." Mimiki declared. She looked over at Kakayu and nodded. "My turn!" she said as she pulled her next card. "I'm going to follow my cousin's lead and summon a friend of my own! Reveal my facedown card: my final Supercharge Crystal!"

The card flipped up to reveal a yellow crystal that her Electric Fairy Warrior accepted. Her body also glowed with powerful lightning. "I then sacrifice my monsters to summon Blitzkreig Fairy Queen (3500/3800)!"

The sky darkened and the monsters were engulfed in a bright light. Lightning striked down at the bright light multiple times until it exploded. After the light died down, it revealed a tan woman with huge, colorful blue and yellow wings. She wore an elegant matching dress and her long golden hair fell to her thighs. The two cousins were proud of their new rarest monsters and was glad that Kaiba's duel disks brought out their power and beauty perfectly.

"Now Blitzkreig Fairy Queen! Attack Hikaru directly with Blitzkreig Assault!" she commanded.

The monster lifted her arm and swung it back down swiftly as a barrage of lightning strikes stormed down on Hikaru, now leaving the twins with 1000 life points.

"I end my turn."' Kakayu stated. Hikaru fell to the ground, making the crowd gasped and turned to Hikari to see what she would do. The girl's knees were shaking before she fell to the ground as well.

"Would you mind taking your turn now Hikari? We're on a tight schedule and we don't have all day!" Mimiki shouted. Hikari whimpered as she looked back and forth at her opponents and her brother. She knew that there was no way that she could turn this duel around for them. She reluctantly placed her hand over the life point screen.

"We give up! You win…"

The monsters disappeared and the disks returned to their "off" positions. Mimiki and Kakayu walked over to them.

"Official Battle City rules state that you shall ante your rarest cards and locator cards when you lose a duel. Relinquish them please." Kakayu said. The twins stood up and reluctantly gave Kakayu two locator cards and two monster cards.

"Next time I expect you both to duel fairly. If you don't, I'll see that you're both disqualified!"

The twins nodded and walked off as the crowd dispersed. Kakayu gave Mimiki her prize and they walked to a nearby cafe called Cafe Koibito. Kakayu ordered a mocha frappe with extra chocolate syrup while Mimiki ordered strawberry lemonade slushy.

"Great work, cuzzo!" Kakayu said as she gave her a high five. "We kicked some ass!"

Mimiki nodded while drinking. "Yes, yes we did! I'm glad that you showed up when you did. Thanks!"

Kakayu waved her hand and replied "No problem Mimi!"

Mimiki took out her locator cards. "Now I have three. Only halfway there!" he declared proudly. "I know that you have four now. I'll catch up soon!"

"Oh! That reminds me!" Kakayu said before she rummaged through her purse. She handed her another locator card and Mimiki looked at her in confusion.

"Kai don't give me your locator card! I didn't earn it."

Kakayu shook her head in disagreement. "No, you did actually. You can thank Yugi for this. He told me that you had a duel last night and you didn't get a locator card. He didn't think that was fair, so he asked me for a favor." she said before taking another drink. "Speaking of that, you have a lot of explaining to do!" she said sharply, making Mimiki jump a little.

 _'Shit!'_ Mimiki cursed. _'I was hoping that she wouldn't find out about that duel!'_

"Why didn't you tell me that you got jumped last night by those creeps?! I think that Yugi said something about a...Rare Hunter…? You could've been hurt or worse!"

Mimiki cursed inwardly again as she rubbed her hands through her hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. Besides, I handed his ass to him on a silver platter. I'm okay. Yugi took care of him for Joey and I earlier today. He won't be bothering us again."

She decided to leave out the mind control part. She didn't want to think about Marik and get sad again, especially now.

"I'll have to thank Yugi later. Thanks Kai." She slipped the card in with her other ones and put them in her backpack. "Now we're even." Mimiki said.

"Please be careful, Mimi. I'll call Kaiba soon to tell the security team to look out for those Rare Hunters. What they're doing is unacceptable!"

Mimiki mentally winced at Kakayu's words as she continued to drink her slushy.

"Yeah, it is." she replied. _'But please don't be harsh on Marik…'_

Soon afterwards, Kakayu's phone started to ring, sounding off a familiar tone. She quickly answered it.

"Yes, boss?"

"Kakayu! Why are you at Cafe Koibito talking the day away with your cousin?! You're supposed to be monitoring the tournament!" Kaiba roared.

Mimiki could hear his voice from the phone and sported an annoyed look on her face while she continued to enjoy her drink. Kakayu wasn't phased and smirked.

"I didn't know that taking a small break would disrupt the war, Kaiba. I'm almost done. Don't piss your pants."

Kaiba scoffed. "Get back to work, Hikami! Unlike you, I have to teach a pathetic duelist a lesson in breaking the rules of my tournament! I'll call you later."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "But I did that earlier, but I'll get right back to work, boss!" she said in a sweet and sickening sarcastic voice before she ended the call. Mimiki kept sipping on her drink.

"The boyfriend mad at you for lollygagging with little ol' me?"

Kakayu blushed and closed her eyes before taking another sip of her frappe. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Mimiki smirked. It was no secret to her that Kakayu had feelings for Kaiba. They were good friends and they always spent a good chunk of their free time together. Mimiki didn't hold Kaiba in very high regard, but as long as her cousin was happy, she was happy.

"With all the time you two spend together, I'm still surprised that you haven't asked the boy out. You two are almost attached at the hip."

Kakayu continued to focus her attention on her drink and avoiding Mimiki's unrelenting gaze.

"Well? What's the problem? What's stopping you?" Mimiki inquired.

Kakayu finished the last of her drink and patted her lips dry.

"No comment."

On his yacht, Marik was sitting in the lounge, anxious to get to Domino. They still had a day's time until they docked at the Domino Marina. He wanted to see Mimiki, but defeating Yugi was another top priority. Those two priorities had his mind going at 100 miles an hour. He viewed her duelist profile on the tablet and pulled a couple of small pictures from his robe of them from her birthday party, the same one that she had on her nightstand. They had taken a picture of them sitting on the couch smiling happily. His eyes drifted down to her bandaged ankle. Her ankle was still injured from day before and it was still a little painful for her to walk. He frowned as the horrible memories and emotions from that day flooded his mind again.

She had almost died because of his poor choice of words to her after he had stolen her first kiss from her. He could feel those negative emotions pang in his heart and he got a dull headache; but unknowingly to him, his hair was starting to spike upwards a little. He groaned irritably and rubbed his temple. He told himself that he wouldn't visit that situation again now that she was alive and well. He tried to think of pleasant memories instead, like the way he felt during the few times they shared a kiss. He had never felt the waves of euphoria that enveloped him at the time and he always took the opportunity to make it happen again with proper restraint. Marik felt like Mimiki was his and his alone. He wanted her to to himself and thought that they'd be together forever...until the day came when she was suddenly ripped away from him on that fateful day at the airport. When Marik saw her reaching out to him, he tried his best to grab her hand, but the security men had pulled him away from her. She was gone forever and his heart was dead ever since.

His eyes became a glossy as the memories continued to play on in his mind and his headache intensified. He groaned louder and grabbed the glass of water that he'd been nipping at for the last hour. Still dressed in his Rare Hunter attire, he was grateful that the robe, along with the sun's rays had been keeping him warm, but now he was sweating bullets. He took a huge gulp of water and wiped the sweat from his brow. A knock at the door now grabbed his attention. He grew irritated and swiveled his chair around, but he calmed down when Odion appeared before him, bowing with his knees to the floor. His hair had reverted back to its normal, silky state and his headache started to subside.

"Pardon my interruption, Master Marik."

"What is it Odion?"

"Obelisk the Tormentor has been played in Battle City. Seto Kaiba now owns it."

Marik's eyes narrowed as he scoffed.

"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" he yelled. "I should've known that Ishizu was the reason that this tournament was even happening in the first place! My sister is always trying to conspire against me! And know she's given it to Seto Kaiba!" he growled.

He thought back to when he obtained the Winged Dragon of Ra—his second god card. It was hidden away in Egypt and Ishizu had stood in his way from retrieving it. She had even summoned a sizable military group to stop him, but the power of his millennium rod made quick work of them. He remembered her words to him, staring at her with those fierce ocean blue eyes:

"Marik stop this at once! It is your destiny to sacrifice yourself to your duty to serve the pharaoh until his return!"

"No, Ishizu!" he snapped. "I will break us from that duty with the god cards and dispel the curse upon the Ishtar family! You won't stop me!"

"She must've given him the card to tempt the rich bastard to hosting this tournament to lure me out of hiding!" he concluded. "I'll let my sister have her little fun for now."

He walked to the glass wall that overlooked the bow with the tablet in tow. 'Kaiba doesn't know the full power of Obelisk. I'll deal with him later. Retrieving it from him shouldn't be a hassle. It's time to put my next plan into action.'

"Odion!" he roared. "Is Pandora ready?"

Odion nodded. "Yes Master Marik. His stage has been set up and he's ready."

Marik quickly closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at her Battle City duelist profile picture again.

 _'I'm sorry that I'm doing this Mimi, but the spirit of the puzzle must pay for his sins! Please forgive me, my love.'_ Marik's lips transformed into an evil smile.

"It's showtime!" he commanded.

After the gang had split up after lunch, Tristan had took it upon himself to visit Joey's sister, Serenity, who was now recovering from her eye surgery at Domino Sinai Hospital. He had stayed with her for a while and gave her a play-by-play of Joey's duel with Espa Roba, the ESP duelist by logging on to a website that Kaiba had designed for the tournament. He was in a pinch, but he managed to win the duel. Serenity was elated and Tristan was happy that the young girl was in high spirits. He found her to be adorably cute and thought that she had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Tristan was also happy that Joey wasn't there at the moment. He knew that the boy would go ballistic if he saw him flirting with his little sister, so he enjoyed most of the moment as he could before he left.

"Well Serenity," he said as he closed the laptop "I'm sure that the others will be wanting to join up again soon. I'm leaving now."

Serenity flashed him a sweet smile of gratitude. "Thank you Tristan. It gets a little lonely here sometimes, so thank you for visiting me. I really appreciate it."

Tristan blushed bashfully and hoped that he was winning some brownie points with her.

"Ah it was no problem! Thanks for having me." He opened the door and stepped halfway out of the room.

"See ya next time!

"Wait! Tristan!" Serenity called out. He turned his attention back to her. "What is it Serenity? Did you need something before I go?"

Serenity shook her head. "Not really...I was just wondering if you can take me to Battle City once I take my bandages off? I want the first thing I see is to see Joey dueling."

Tristan smile grew a mile wide. He finally had an excuse to come back and spend more time with Serenity and the best part was that Joey couldn't stop it from happening.

"You got yourself a deal, pretty lady. I'll be back as soon as you're ready to leave. See ya!"

Tristan then closed the door behind him and left for Downtown Domino.

Meanwhile downtown, Tea and Mr. Muto had congratulated Joey on his victory of Espa Roba. Espa Roba had been cheating the whole time by using tips from his younger siblings, who were perched up top of a nearby skyscraper. Joey exposed him as an ESP fraud and won the duel. He had won a locator card and Espa's rarest card, Jinzo (2400/1500). He also earned a silent congrats from Yami, who was also watching everything from above. He was proud that Joey fought his way through his dilemma. He pharaoh then left without making his presence noticed. He knew that he had to earn his way to the finals and he wasn't going to do by just standing by.

"Thanks for the praise guys!" Joey said. "Now I had two locator cards and time's a wastin! I gotta do my best, not only for me, but Serenity too!" Tea and Mr. Muto nodded. "I wonder how Yugi and Mimiki are doing? Kaiba and Kakayu as well…" Tea said.

"Knowing Mims and Kai, they can hold their own. I'm pretty sure that we're tied up locator card wise."

Tea then pulled out her pink cellphone and started to send Mimiki a text. "Let's find out!" Thirty seconds after she sent the message, she had a reply.

_**From: Mimiki - Multimedia Message Attached** _

_**We have four a piece! :) How are Yugi and Joey doing? Great I hope!** _

A picture of the two cousins posing with their locator cards was viewed between the three of them.

"What?!" Joey exclaimed. "How did they get so far ahead?! I gotta catch up! And quick! See you two later! I gotta find another duelist!"

"Then we'll go and find Yugi and see what he's up to. See ya!" Tea said.

The three went their separate ways and were happy that no other Rare Hunters tried to ruin their day since that morning.

Yami had walked around the city after watching Joey's duel and ended up in a small park. He stopped for a moment to take a glance at Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon card. He was happy to add his best friend's card to his deck during the tournament. He could feel Yugi brimming with agreement as he appeared next to him.

"I'm glad that we have Joey's support. His Red Eyes will be helpful against our new enemy. It's like his heart is in our deck! I just hope that he'll be able to survive in the tournament without it!" Yami smirked.

"I'm sure that Joey will be successful in his duels. He won the last one without the help of his Red Eyes. Now that he has another powerful card, I'm sure that he'll be able to plan a new strategy." the spirit replied. Yugi nodded in agreement.

"Yes, you're right. But back to this morning, I realized that we're basically fighting an enemy that we can't see. We don't even know his name! I just wish that we at least knew our new foe's name though…"

The spirit nodded. "I agree, Yugi. A name would be of great help."

"Yeah and we still don't know what he looks like either. So far, he hasn't made an appearance since this morning...I wonder what he's planning..."

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in his peripheral vision. He turned to see Mimiki walking up the sidewalk, across from the small park he was in.

"Ah! There's Mimiki!" Yugi exclaimed. "For some reason, that Rare Hunter kept staring at her. I guess this is a good time to keep her close, don't you agree Yami?"

Yami stared at her intensely. "Yugi, didn't she say that she was supposed to be with another group of friends? Why is she alone when she said earlier that she wouldn't be? We separated almost two hours ago."

"You're right! I guess it slipped my mind! Let's go check up on her."

Mimiki turned towards a green and yellow striped circus tent across the street.

"Mimiki!" the spirit called out in vain. She didn't hear his call. Yami narrowed his eyes and started to follow her. Coincidentally, Tea and Mr. Muto was passing by the small park. When they stepped inside, they saw Yugi walking towards the tent following after Mimiki.

"There he is! And Mimiki too!" Tea exclaimed. "Yugi! Mimiki!"

Although she called out to them, they didn't respond and kept walking. The two walked hurriedly to catch up and they disappeared into the tent. When they entered, they saw Yugi enter a tall magic box with slots all over it. It also had question marks on the front. When they walked up to it, the box released a fog and collapsed. Yugi had disappeared before their eyes and Mimiki was nowhere to be found either.

A distress beep sounds off from Mokuba's cellphone. The information caused his eyes to widen in panic. "Seto!" he cried. The young CEO looked down to his little brother.

"What is it, Mokuba?"

"Yugi's signal just disappeared from the tournament surveillance system! I think that it's being blocked somehow."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Hm…" he hummed. "I think it's those Rare Hunters behind this. Even before the tournament started, they've been involved in some form of cheating. Kakayu already told me that Mimiki and Wheeler were assaulted by them and we saw that Yugi was challenged this morning by a Rare Hunter."

Kaiba smirked. They were finally coming out of hiding. His opportunity to collect the other two Egyptian god cards was slowly coming to fruition.

"Yugi might be inside a building that's blocking the signal. Let's find him Mokuba. Call Kakayu and tell her to hurry up and meet us here in five minutes! We have work to do."

Mokuba nodded his head. "Right!"

Mokuba started to call Kakayu while Kaiba was focusing on his thoughts. 'I won't let my opportunity to duel Yugi slip away because of some wanna be punks. Yugi is the only person I want to duel and no one will get in my way!'

In a remote office building, Yami stepped out of the magic box. He looked around to find Mimiki, but all he observed was that he appeared to be inside of a closed office. An old, bulky computer's static screen gave the tiny room some light.

"Mimiki!" he called out. "Where are you? I'd like to discuss something with you!"

His eyes narrowed when he didn't hear a response. He then walked up to it and the computer had activated itself.

"Hacking into Battle City database." it stated in a robotic voice. "Duelist profile for Yugi Muto. Dueling level: 8. Rarest card: Dark Magician."

Suddenly the Dark Magician started to glow in a purple aura. It smiled evilly at him and sprang to life as a hologram. Upon observing him, Yami noticed that this Dark Magician looked different from his. This Dark Magician was wearing a red and gold suit instead of purple. He had tan skin, narrow lavender eyes and platinum blonde hair. He also had kohl around his eyes and under his bottom lip that pointed sharply down towards his chin.

"About time that you got here!" it said. "I've been waiting for you Yugi! Come and play with my master, Pandora. Only one person in the world can control the Dark Magician and that is my master Pandora." he stated with an evil smile.

Yami sported a confused and irritated frown. "Enough of the tricks! Whoever is there, show yourself!" he commanded. "If it's you Mimiki, I don't find this very amusing!"

At his command, a man had appeared before him. He was wearing a red suit with a matching top hat and a blue and black striped mask that matched his tie and shirt. In his fingers, he held a Dark Magician card, the same as the one on the computer. He let out a wicked laugh.

"Welcome Yugi Muto!"

"You're not Mimiki! Where is she? I was certain that she came through that magic box to come here."

"Oh you mean this girl?" he asked, his right palm guiding Yami's attention to his right. Mimiki soon appeared and took her hosts' hand. He then snapped his fingers and she disappeared into thin air, shocking Yami.

"What did you do to her?! Where did she go?!"

The man laughed at him again. "That girl was never here. I'm an illusionist. That girl was merely an illusion that I created to persuade you to come here. My master was certain that you'd come here if you saw her."

Yami's eyes continued to stare at the illusionist with disgust.

"Your master? Who are you?!"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Pandora and I'm the number 2 Rare Hunter. As a master illusionist, only I can hold the power of the great Dark Magician. You will never understand its full potential!"

Yami growled lowly. "That's enough, Pandora!"

Pandora slowly walked up to him. "I'm sorry that I shocked you with your little friend's vanishing act and that your favorite card is apart of my deck. I challenge you to a duel! The winner will take the loser's Dark Magician!" he said with a cocky grin. His Dark Magician also sported the same grin, but much more wicked. Yami smirked.

"I accept your challenge Pandora. Just to let you know, I have no qualms about other duelists having Dark Magician in their decks. The girl who you tricked me with also has a magician of her own. It's one of the things that we have in common. My Dark Magician and I are connected by the heart of the cards and I can tap into his true power." he stated as she shuffled through his deck. He flashed his favorite card. "He has chosen me and has never let me down! I place my complete trust in him!"

His Dark Magician appeared behind him, brimming with confidence. Pandora replied with a scowl, but quickly changed his resolve.

"So it's true! The great Yugi Muto never backs down from a challenge! Very impressive, but this room is a little cramped, don't you think? Follow me. I know of a special dueling ring close by."

He bowed and pointed his hand towards a flight of stairs leading down to the basement. "Hurry! It's almost showtime!" he said as they walked down the stairs. "I have orders from my superior to make this a true spectacle!"

"Who are you working for Pandora? Is it the leader of the Rare Hunters?!"

Pandora decided not to answer the question.

"Just relax and enjoy the show. Forget who's backstage and just worry about me."

They walked behind another door to a special arena. Tattered red curtains were draped from the ceiling.

"This duel will be between us. No one will be watching and thanks to our location, even Seto Kaiba doesn't know where you are."

Suddenly, the floor moved beneath them and Yami found himself bound in shackle like devices by his ankles. Buzz saws appeared from a few feet away from them spinning rapidly. He started to struggle, but it was in vain. "We're both locked in! If you lose this duel, you'll not only lose your Dark Magician, but you'll never walk again! The more life points you lose, the closer the buzz saw will move closer to you!"

Then a golden box appeared in between their legs and shackles. "If you win, you'll be able to unlock yourself from the shackles! The key is inside the box. It's your only hope!" Pandora then activated his duel disk. "There's so much at stake, Yugi! Let's duel!"

After separating from Kakayu, Mimiki walked around Downtown Domino all by her lonesome. She decided to take the rest of the day off from dueling and wondered where her friends were. Before she could give them a call, her phone rang. It was Tea.

 _'Oh! Speak of the devil!'_ she thought as she answered the phone.

"Hey Tea! I was just thinking about you guys! Where are you?"

"I was about to ask you the same question! Didn't you just walk into a yellow and green striped circus tent with Yugi?"

Mimiki's eyebrows furrowed. "No. I left you all at the restaurant, remember? I haven't seen any of you since..." Then negative feelings started to creep into her heart. "Is Yugi okay?"

"If he didn't walk in there with you, then something is wrong!" She heard chatter in the background. "Joey thinks that Yugi has been kidnapped by the Rare Hunters!"

Mimiki's heart stopped for a second and she gnashed her teeth. 'No! Not again, Marik!' she thought. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts.

"Where are you?! I'll come to you guys!"

"Meet us back at the restaurant!"

"I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Mimiki quickly ended the called and ran for the restaurant. Her heart was filled with disappointment and heartbreak.

_'Why, Marik...why?!'_

::::::

Mimiki finally met up with the gang and they started to search for Yugi. After an hour, they still couldn't find him. During a short break a little while later, they ran into Mokuba and Kakayu. They informed them that Kaiba had found out where Yugi was and was heading there now. They all quickly ended their break and followed them.

"Dark Magician Girl! Attack his life points directly!" Yami commanded.

The blonde magician raised her staff to direct her attack, dropping Pandora's life points to zero. Pandora was devastated.

Outside, the gang had finally reached the building that Yami was in.

"Seto said that Yugi was in here!" he stated.

While Mokuba and Kakayu tried to open the door, Tristan had arrived on his bike. They quickly informed him about Yugi's disappearance. Tristan was ready to pound through some doors.

Pandora was seething. "No!" he screamed. "Now I'll lose everything! I won't even get my sweet Catherine back!" he cried.

Yami's life points trickled to zero and his box unlocked to reveal a locator card and a key. Pandora knew that he would escape unscathed. He smiled as he pulled a spare key from his sleeve. His freedom was guaranteed! Before he could bend down to unlock the shackles, his body froze.

"Pandora!" a familiar voice shouted. He panicked. "M-m-master Marik!" he cried.

"You didn't hold up your end of the bargain so now you must accept your punishment!"

Pandora looked down at the spinning buzz saw and his heart started to race.

"No! Please Master Marik! Give me another chance!" he pleaded.

"Hmph! Where's your magic now, dumbass?" he asked.

Pandora's key slowly disappeared from his grasp. He started to panic again and didn't realize that they key had never really disappeared; Marik only made it seem so with the power of his millennium rod. Pandora dropped the key and could hear him chuckle. "Oh? Is your mind playing tricks on you, Pandora? Or have you just lost control of it?"

Yami quickly unlocked his shackles and glared at Pandora. He could hear his friends pounding at the door, but he didn't respond. Yami let Yugi take over again and he saw the buzz saw already tearing away at Pandora's ankle. He ran over and freed him before the real damage could be done, but there was still a bit of blood on the floor.

"Not even a cheat like you deserves to die over a game!" Yugi said while panting.

Pandora stood up and sobbed. "What have I done? Catherine! I'm coming!" he said before lunging at a silhouette of a woman behind a curtain. He was met with heartbreak to find that it wasn't the love of his life at all—the head had fallen from the body. It was mere mannequin. Marik had promised to reunite Pandora with his love if he had defeated Yugi. He continued to clutch the dummy, begging for Catherine to return to him, crying his eyes out.

Yugi became teary eyed and felt sorry for him. "Are you okay, Pandora? Can I help?"

Pandora suddenly turned to him, the eye of Anubis glowing brightly on his forehead.

"Hmph! Pandora is gone! You care too much about worthless people, Yugi!"

Pandora's body moved towards the small duelist with blank eyes.

"We meet again! Allow me to introduce myself! I' am Marik!"

Yugi glared at him. "You're a coward, Marik! Show yourself!"

"I'll reveal myself to you when the time is right and no sooner once I obtain what I want; your death by my hand! I have manipulated these events from the very beginning! I'm able to control the minds of people, as I have controlled Bandit Keith and others before him in order to confirm the existence of the spirit inside you!"

Yugi stiffened. "Why do you want to kill me?!"

"I don't want to kill you. I want to kill the spirit of the puzzle! Because of him, my family has been guarding his tomb and secrets from the world for the last 3000 years, cut away from society and forced to live underground! We had to protect the millennium items. Our mission is to return the pharaoh's memories to his soul. The pharaoh's memory exists in the three God cards. Whoever owns the cards can become the new Pharaoh and use the Millennium Items! He's standing in my way!" he shouted. "But this isn't over, Yugi! Another one of my Rare Hunters is in Battle City waiting to defeat you! He also holds an Egyptian god card! Until then, beware of the silent puppet!"

Marik released Pandora and Yugi caught him before he fell to the ground. The gang had finally burst into the room. "Yugi!" they all called out.

They looked around and saw the buzz saws and the blood on the floor. Even though it was a small amount, it was enough to make Mimiki nauseous and she tried her best to hide it.

"Are you okay?! That isn't your blood...is it?" Tea asked. Yugi smiled at them. "I think it's time that we call it a day and head home. I'll explain everything there."

Later on, everyone was in the living room at the Game Shop. Yugi had explained to everyone what had happened.

"His name is Marik."

Mimiki started to look a little pale upon hearing his name and tried to process the information. Her stomach felt like it was in knots and the nausea had heightened. She covered her mouth in pain and tried to prevent herself from crying. _'Marik...how could you? How could you use me to try to kill Yugi?! What's happened to you?!'_

Kakayu had also stiffened a bit as well. Yugi had noticed Mimiki's discomfort and Kakayu's expression and called for Yami to observe as well. He appeared next to him quickly.

"She's acting oddly again Yami. Do you think she's connected to this somehow?"

Yami glared at her. "I don't know Yugi,but I find it ironic that he used her as an illusion to lure us into a trap. This is her third incident of being involved in this."

Yugi nodded. "Yeah! You would've thought that she was the one Marik was targeting instead of us! Does he want to harm her too or does she mean something to him?"

Yami held his glare. "It confuses me too Yugi, but seeing her reaction, she obviously finds this whole thing unpleasant, and I believe that Kakayu knows something as well. She also looks uncomfortable." Yugi and Yami continued to observe them. "Kakayu still hasn't realized that Mimiki is ill. I have my suspicions, but we'll discuss this with Mimiki later. I don't wish for the others to get involved in this just yet."

Yami disappeared and left the rest to Yugi. "Mimiki are you feeling okay? You look a bit pale."

Everyone turned to her and a look of fear flashed across her features. "I think that I ate something bad…" she lied. "I think that something's not agreeing with my stomach and thinking about seeing that blood and the buzz saws from earlier isn't making me feel any better. I'm going to go home and sleep this off…I'll see you all tomorrow..." she said while trying to stand up.

Kakayu snapped out of her thoughts and helped her up. "Mimi! Why didn't you say anything before!" she scolded. Kakayu turned back to them. "I'm going to take her home and go back to my patrol before Kaiba blows a gasket. See you all tomorrow!"

"Bye! Get well soon!" they shouted in unison. "See you later, Mims and Kai!"

The two cousins slowly exited the shop and Kakayu escorted Mimiki home. After helping her into bed, she looked down at her ill cousin stiffly. She then looked over to the picture on the nightstand that held the picture of the young Marik and Mimiki together smiling happily and glared as she looked back at Mimiki.

_'The Marik that Yugi spoke of couldn't be the the same Marik that you care about, is it Mimi? Are you hiding something from me? From us?'_

Kakayu was only met with soft breathing as Mimiki was now in a deep sleep. She shook her head.

_'No, Mimi would tell me! I must be silly. I'm pretty sure that there are other people named Marik, right? It's not her Marik raising hell...right?'_

But Mimiki's behavior of late had everyone concerned, especially the spirit and herself. She thought back to a snippet of her recent phone conversation with the spirit.

_"Kakayu. I'm concerned about Mimiki. She's been acting oddly since this morning. I don't know if she's informed you that she had been assaulted by a Rare Hunter on her way home last night. We encountered the same man earlier and he seemed to have an interest in her. She's been hiding her discomfort. Please assist her and talk with her. I know that she entrusts you with many things."_

Kakayu's eyes narrowed in worry at Mimiki's sleeping frame.

_'I have a feeling about what's going on...but please talk to me, Mimi…hopefully sooner than later...'_

Kakayu decided to put the problem at hand on hold for now and headed back to the city.


	4. Nothing Short of a Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:  
>  _ **text**_ \- text message

Mimiki stood alone in a unending desert. The hot sand covered her feet, filling in every cook and cranny in her black flats. The blazing sun beat its intense rays on her head and she could feel herself starting to sweat. Her throat was starting to feel parched, so she went in search of a water hole. During her search, she started to feel weird.

_'I feel weird...why do I feel so...short?'_ she wondered.

She quickly shook the feeling off once she saw a water hole from a distance. Ill equipped to run the in sand, she stumbled as she made leeway, but the water was the only thing that mattered. When she arrived, she ran straight for the water and scooped some into her hand to drink. As she went in for her last drink, her eyes widened at her hands. They were a bit smaller. She looked into in water at her reflection and shrieked. Her twelve year old self staring right back at her. Mimiki jumped up and looked around her. She was at the same oasis her and Marik frequented years ago.

_'I'm in Egypt…?'_

She looked down at her clothes. It was the same outfit she wore when she first met Marik. Panicking a bit, she turned around to find help, but there were no buildings in the area and no people either. She soon found herself around some scattered ruins and a door partially hidden under the sand. Mimiki immediately recognized it as the Ishtar compound and let herself in. She closed the door and squinted her eyes a bit. Mimiki was grateful to be out of the sun, but the tunnel was partially lit.

She made her way slowly down the stairs. No one had shown up yet.

"Marik?" she called out. She didn't get an answer. Before she could call out his name again, she heard Marik's voice calling out for Odion and then a blood curdling scream. Her soul jumped out of her body for a second and she wanted to run away, but her feet pulled her in the direction of the scream. Mimiki finally reached a corridor down the hall and peeked in. She recognized Odion on the floor, battered, bruised with blood and unconscious. Ishizu had been pinned against the wall, also unconscious. An older man was slumped against the far wall, with a huge bloodstain trailing down towards his body and Marik standing before him. Mimiki couldn't help scream. Marik's head turned towards her, but he didn't look like the Marik she knew. He looked similar, but his hair pointed in all directions, his eyes had narrowed like an angry cat, his forehead had glowed with the eye of Anubis. His hands were bloodstained and held a long golden dagger with a ball with wing like appendages on the sides of it. He seemed slightly irritated at her presence, but his frown quickly transformed into a wicked smile.

"Welcome back, Mimi!" he said with a low chuckle. He spread out his arms as if he welcomed her to hug him. "How fitting of you to join us! You'll be the next victim!"

Before she knew it, her body flew into the room and she was slammed against the wall. A yellow aura held her in place and her fear was evident.

_'Why does this feel...so familiar…?!' ___

Marik walked up to her, reveling in her shaking eyes and examined her with face with his bloodied hand. He smirked and licked his lips.

"Too bad...you're a pretty girl, but you've seen too much. You must die!" he declared. Mimiki started to cry and screamed.

"Please! Marik stop!" she pleaded. "What's wrong with you?! Don't kill me! Please!"

Her words fell on deaf ears and he raised his dagger and swung down on her chest as she screamed.

Mimiki screamed as she flailed around in her sleep. She quickly jumped up and panted heavily as she tried to regain her senses and looked around. She was in her room. After calming down, she realized she was in a cold sweat and rubbed her eyes.

_'What was that nightmare about?! Why did it feel so familiar? What had happened to Marik? He's not a cold blooded killer!'_

Unfortunately, she couldn't put murder past him since he told Yugi that he wanted kill him yesterday. And what about that crazy set up of the duel? The loser would've died from having his feet sliced off with a giant buzz saw!

_'Where in the hell did he get that twisted idea from?! And using an illusion of me to lure Yugi into that death trap too?'_

She quickly grabbed her beloved picture of them and stared into his big, bright lavender eyes. A tear slid down her cheek as she sniffled. 'I just want the old Marik back!'

She cried quietly and curled herself up into a ball. Before she could wallow in sadness for too long, her phone started to ring. She wasn't in the mood to talk, but she knew that Kakayu would call again if she didn't answer. Mimiki cleared her throat and answered.

"Hello…?" she asked in a half asleep.

"Mimi are you okay?! Everyone was worried about you, especially since you haven't been answering your phone!" Kakayu yelled.

Mimiki sat silently and rubbed her head again while yawning. "Do you have to yell so early in the morning?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"It's almost noon, Mimi! And I'm not yelling!"

_'What…?'_ she thought. She looked at her cat shaped alarm clock. The screen displayed 11: 45 AM. _'Wow...did I really sleep that long?'_ She ran her fingers through her bed hair.

"I think your current tone constitutes as yelling. I'm sorry that I didn't answer. I guess that I slept harder than I thought. But I do feel better, thanks!"

"I'm glad and I'm sure that everyone else will be too. They already met up this morning at 9 AM for the last day of the tournament and they were hoping that you'd tag along. Tonight is the finals, so I'll be calling you later. Good luck on the rest of your duels."

Mimiki yawned again. "Thanks, you too! I'll talk to you later."

Before she hung up, Kakayu said one last thing. "Mimi…" she said sadly. "Yes, Kai?"

"You know if you're upset or anything, you can always talk to me. I'll sit and listen...you know that right?" she asked sadly.

Mimiki started to feel horrible again. Keeping this secret was even harder than she thought and now she had to lie to the people she loved while trying to save someone she loved. Her nightmare didn't make her feel any better either. She felt like her voice was going to crack, but she cleared her throat to mask her pain.

"Yes, Kai. I know. Nothing's wrong. Yesterday was a bit overwhelming, but I'm fine now. I'm going to get ready and go downtown. Thanks for your concern. I'll see you later, okay?"

Kakayu was silent for a minute, but decided to let this argument go. "Okay. See you later."

Mimiki hung up and crawled out of bed. She checked her missed calls and saw that Yugi called three times, Tea two times, and Kakayu three times as well. Yugi had also sent her a text message.

_**New Message From: Yugi** _

_**Hey! Good morning! I hope that you're feeling better! We're meeting up at the plaza at 9. Hope to see you there!** _

She sighed sadly. She had missed the meeting time and everyone was concerned about her. Ishizu's request rang in her head. She made a promise to help her and Marik and to also keep their predicament to themselves until the time was right. Although Yugi and the spirit of the puzzle were already involved with Marik's plans, but she didn't want to personally drag them into her personal affairs until she had a tight grip on the situation.

_'Right now, I have to make things right without their help.'_ she thought.

She quickly shot pressed the reply button to text Yugi.

_**To: Yugi** _

_**Hey! I'm sorry, I overslept. I'm feeling much better. Thanks for asking. I'll be downtown in an hour or so. See you later!** _

Mimiki pressed the send button and placed the phone on the nightstand. She looked through her closet, grabbed some clothes and her bath towel, and made her way to the shower. After getting dressed, she grabbed her pink backpack, phone and her duel disk. She placed her hand over her deck and closed her eyes.

_'I only need two more locator cards to get to the finals this evening. I can't afford to mess up. Please guide me to victory, my faithful cards.' ___

After slipping her sandals on, she headed for Downtown Domino. Taking a glance at her phone, the touchscreen displayed 12:42 PM. She groaned and was upset that it was so late in the afternoon and hoped that she could gain her last two locator cards fast.

________________________________

"WHAT THE HELL!"

Marik threw his glass clear across the room and watched it shatter into tiny crystals. He had lost again to the pharaoh - not once, but three times already! Along with his losses, he also broke three good drinking glasses. And to top it all off, he lost a god card to Yugi. The only thing that kept him from truly losing his mind at the moment was that he still had Ra in his possession.

Upon their arrival, he sent Odion out to find Mimiki and keep an eye on her. He didn't want to pull her into anymore of his plans. Luckily for him, Odion hadn't seen her so far so she would be safe from his next plan. Marik took a deep breath. The sting of his defeat subsided slightly, but he now needed to get out of his boat. He needed to get his next plan rolling. Taking a ride on his motorcycle would clear his head and give him a chance to explore the town since he hadn't left the port since they arrived.

Looking through Strings again, he saw that Kaiba had challenged Yugi for the possession of Slifer. Marik scoffed at the two duelists. There was no way that he was going to let Yugi think he was out of the woods yet. Marik took control of Strings once again.

"No matter, pharoah!"

Yami turned to him, irritated at his current predicament. "I've had enough of your bull, Marik!"

"Whatever! This defeat means nothing! I have a more powerful god card that I can annihilate you with! Also I have Rare Hunters everywhere! I can see all!" he stated.

He looked through the eyes of other Rare Hunters in the city and spotted the gang talking and laughing with one another.

"Hm...I wonder what you'll do about your friends? Who will be next? Maybe Tea? Or Joey perhaps?"

"What did I tell you about targeting my friends, Marik?! Don't you dare hurt them!" he commanded. Marik wasn't phased and smiled evilly.

"You better watch your back punk because I'm here in Battle City and your friends will be your downfall!"

Strings fell to the ground as Yami grew more frustrated. He won that duel by the skin of his teeth and was thankful to see the flaw in Marik's "all powerful" strategy, but his assaults were wrecking his nerves.

"I have to save them! There's no telling what he'll do to them!"

"I know that he mentioned Joey and Tea, but he didn't mention Mimiki this time or Kakayu!" Yugi pointed out. "Is she not his target anymore?" he asked the spirit. Yami looked towards Kaiba, Mokuba and Kakayu. He was glad that she was safe with them, but he couldn't the same for Mimiki and he gnashed his teeth.

"What the hell does he have planned?!" He screamed.

Yami's outburst shocked Mokuba and Kakayu. The spirit was always a calm man and was never the one to curse. Kaiba rolled his eyes at his statement. He grew tired of this friendship business. He ordered Mokuba to track Joey down. Kakayu then stepped up to speak.

"I'm sure that Joey is fine right now. He can hold his own after all. Don't worry, Yugi. We'll find him in a jiffy!" she tried to assured him. "Everything will be okay!" she said. 'I hope…' she thought. Her mind went dark as she thought back to Mimiki and Marik. 'I REALLY hope that this isn't the same Marik that Mimiki is crazy over…this guy is nuts!'

Yami wasn't completely confident as Kakayu and gritted his teeth. He was mad that Marik had pushed his emotions this far. Kaiba grew more annoyed with the situation.

"Look Yugi, I'll help you with your friends, but know after that, you and I will be dueling and your god card will be mine!"

Yami brushed his comment aside and ran off to the city. He didn't have time for Kaiba's bullshit either. Forget the tournament, his friends were in danger, dammit! Kaiba followed behind him, hoping that this Marik nonsense would end sooner than later. As a result, they unknowingly left Mokuba and Kakayu behind, which ticked Kakayu off.

"Well Mokuba, I guess that we're left with our own vices," she said in a irritated voice. Mokuba looked up from his tablet with worry. He knew that Kakayu had feelings for his brother and it was mutual: Kaiba just didn't show it like normal people would and he wasn't quick to admit his feelings, but Mokuba could see through his diamond hard shell. His ways did rub people wrong at times and he wasn't the most popular guy around. But with irritated girls, he noticed that his popularity took a resounding nosedive. He rooted for the two to get together; he'd always wanted a big sister and liked it when Kakayu was around.

_'Hopefully Seto can stop ignoring his feelings and they can get together...before Kai kills him first.'_ he thought.

"Continue to look for Joey. I'll look for Mimi in the meantime to make sure she's okay. After that, let's get something to eat. I'm starving!"

Mokuba nodded with a big smile. "Roger that, Captain!"

Kakayu couldn't help but chuckle at the younger Kaiba's bright personality. He really could brighten anyone's day.

___________________

Marik changed his clothes and grabbed what he needed. He knew what he wanted to do next, but he didn't want to get Mimiki involved. He ordered his men not to touch her during their patrolling, otherwise they would meet the same fate as Seeker did the day before. He grabbed the millennium rod and created a mind link between him and the rest of his Rare Hunters. He gave orders to them for his next couple of plans. He snickered evilly at the thought of how busy the pharaoh would be for quite some time until his untimely death.

Marik then walked to the large storage compartment and wheeled his red Harley out of his yacht. He packed a small duffel into the trunk compartment and put on his helmet before speeding away into the city, weaving through traffic at high speeds as the city skyline grew closer.

The scenery was a nice change from Egypt; no sand for miles and it wasn't too hot. The bay was a beautiful blue and he'd only seen cities like Domino in pictures from the internet. In his opinion, it looked better now that he had seen it with his own eyes. His thoughts quickly shifted back to Mimiki once more.

_'So this is where you grew up…'_ A smile graced his tan lips and his eyes grew softer. _'I can't wait to see you again, Mimi!'_

Marik focused his attention back to the road and his bike. He was happy that his childhood dreams finally came true. He never would've thought that he'd own his own motorcycle like the one in the magazine ad he had owned for years now. That soft expression was quickly replaced by anger and resentment as his mind shifted to the spirit of the puzzle. The image of a free life was finally in his face and the Ishtar clan was excluded from this beautiful world because they had to watch over his tomb. Rage built up in his veins and he sped up again. Marik snickered. He could practically see Yami falling to his defeat...literally.

When he arrived in the city, he decided to drive through some alleyways to get to the Battle City area quicker. He smiled again as he thought of re-obtaining Slifer from Yugi and also obtaining Obelisk from Kaiba. His thoughts were interrupted by a certain white haired teen blocked his way by placing himself in the middle of the alley, clearly showing no signs of fear of the high possibility of being hit. Marik quickly slammed his brakes, irritated at the jerky movement and the thought of being severely injured. He growled as he dismounted from his motorcycle and removed his helmet. He quickly grabbed the rod. He was about to teach this stupid pedestrian a lesson.

"What the hell, man! You almost got us killed!"

The evil spirit smiled and folded his arms. "So you're the evil presence I've been sensing. Hand over your millennium item and this won't have to get ugly." he said with his palm up.

The spirit opened his blue shirt to reveal his millennium ring. Marik's eyes narrowed and the spirit smiled evilly. It seemed like just about anyone could wield an item. How people are coming across this powerful items like they were prizes in a gumball machine was beyond him.

"Anyone that interferes with my plans will die. I'm sure that you understand."

Marik brushed off his threat. "Why do you want my item?" he asked simply.

"It's simple really," the spirit replied. "when I obtain all seven items, I'll have the power to make the world bow at my feet!"

Marik mentally rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, saying that will REALLY convince me to give it to you!' he thought. _'Hmm...he might have some knowledge of the ancient scriptures, but he obviously doesn't know everything. The power of the pharaoh is much more powerful than the seven items combined.'_ Marik quickly hatched a plan.

"My name is Marik."

"No fucks given, but if I must, my name is Bakura. Enough pleasantries, just hand over the item!"

Marik ignored his comment and continued on. "I'll give you the rod, no questions asked, but only if you do something for me in return. I'm not interested in the items, but the pharaoh's life. If you help me, I'll give you the rod when this is over. Deal?"

"Hmm…" the spirit contemplated. 'Yugi is one of my mortal enemies and I would love to see the little bastard finally fall to his demise...especially if I have a hand in it! But the rod...'

Bakura smiled evilly. "Why should I help you? I could just take it force!" he stated. Marik still was unfazed by Bakura's threats.

"Why would you do that? You don't bite the hand that feeds you." he replied with a smirk. Bakura's smile quickly turned into a frown. "All you have is the rod! It's only one piece of the puzzle!"

"What if I told you I knew where the other items were? Like the necklace my sister possesses or the scales and key?"

Bakura was pissed; Marik got him with that one. "Before I agree to this or not..." Bakura said as a blue aura enveloped him. "I challenge you to a shadow duel. Let's see if you're really worth teaming up with."

Marik replied with a violet glow to his blue one. He wasn't going to let him insult his power.

____________

Mimiki panted as she continued to run around downtown to the aquarium to meet up with Tea, Joey, Tristan and Mr. Muto. There was major traffic going into the city and because she was already running late, she decided to trek on foot. She soon regretted that decision. She was nowhere near as athletic like some of her other friends. Her feet felt like they were on fire. The sunlight was a bit harsh going into the early afternoon. Mimiki stopped to catch her breath. She checked her map application on her phone and saw that she was less than a mile away from the aquarium.

Mimiki let out a mixed sigh of frustration and relief. "Almost there…" she muttered. She wiped the sweat from her brow. She felt like an alley shortcut would make her trip a bit easier since it was more shaded than the open roads. She didn't worry about the danger because of the time of the day, so she took her chances and walked in. It felt ten degrees cooler in the shade and the weak wind tunnel breeze felt good against her tan skin. She set the app to give her directions through the alley and followed along. She turned a corner a few minutes later and bumped into something tall and bulky, but it was warm. The collision pushed her back a bit, but a strong arm grabbed hers to prevent her from falling.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention…" she admitted.

"It is quite alright." the deep voice replied.

Mimiki looked up and her eyes shrank in horror as her heart skipped a beat. The man was dressed in a purple robe, just like the Rare Hunter that had attacked her the other night. His outfit was a bit different; he wore black pants and boots and his shirt matched the robe. She knew that they worked for Marik and she knew that he knew her whereabouts. Did he send one to attack her? Did he really go off the deep end? Was what Ishizu told her about his feelings for her a lie? She quickly hid her fear and replaced it with anger and pulled away from him. The man was not phased by her behavior and continued to watch her from under his hood that covered his face.

"What do you want, Rare Hunter?" she asked harshly. Her heart was breaking a bit at the thought of Marik sending a man to hurt her. If only he was there! She'd show him a thing or two! "I'm sure that you want my rare cards, right? Don't think that you'll just take them from me! I already dropped kicked one of your companions' ass the other night when he assaulted me."

The Rare Hunter narrowed his eyes. He was informed about that duel and the grave consequence that fell on Seeker's head. "I' am aware of the event that took place. I apologize for your involvement in the matter." he said before giving her a small bow.

Mimiki was taken aback by his polite mannerisms. He wasn't being nearly as annoying and arrogant as Seeker. She quickly regained her angry and defensive persona. He wasn't going to catch her off guard.

"Oh really? Did Marik train you to have some manners? How noble of him!" she said with her arms crossed, making her blood boil. "If he's controlling you, I want to talk to him myself! I've had enough of this!" she yelled, her voice threatening to crack. "Do you hear me, Marik?!"

"Believe you me, miss, I understand your feelings. The one you speak of isn't controlling my mind." he replied calmly. "Please listen. I mean you no harm. I didn't plan on encountering you at this moment, but they always advise to seize opportunity when it presents itself."

Mimiki didn't respond, but the hunter activated his duel disk, making Mimiki frown. "I'm not dueling you, you creep!"

The hunter expected as much. "Like I stated before, I mean you no harm. But if you duel and defeat me, we can discuss Master Marik. I'm sure that you want to set him free from the darkness...right, Miss Mimiki?"

Mimiki's heart skipped a beat. "Who are you?! How do you know my name?! Have you been stalking me like the others?!" she questioned. Her eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute! Are you-"

The man cut her off by raising his hand.

"That can be discussed if you defeat me. Show me your true power."

Mimiki groaned. 'Looks like a don't have a choice...again! Damn these men!'

Mimiki activated her disk. "Fine. Let's duel!"

Minutes later, Mimiki was progressing worse than she had anticipated in the duel. She was down to 1000 life points and her opponent had managed to destroy her Dark Magician Girl and played Card Destruction, a card that made her discard her hand from a previous turn that held her Seraph Angel and a Holy Aqua Crystal. Her opponent had 2000 life points left and held just as many trap cards as she did in magic cards, but his seemed to be more sinister than hers. Mimiki had her Fairy Cheer Girl (1900/1500) and Magician's Valkyria (1600/1800) on the field while he had two Embodiment of Anubis monsters (1600/1800) and no face down cards. Mimiki narrowed her eyes in frustration. Her winning streak was about to come to an end and she was losing out on a valuable opportunity to learn more about Marik and saving him from his personal hell.

_'I made a promise to help save him! I can't believe this is happening!'_ she thought. The Rare Hunter frowned at her.

"I have to admit that I'm disappointed in your dueling skills right now. I expected more from you, especially since you gave my colleague quite the scare of his life."

Mimiki didn't let his words bother her much and didn't respond, but she had to admit that he was right. He was her toughest opponent yet. It was now her turn to draw and her fingers shooked a bit as she readied herself to draw. She decided to pull a Yugi during her turn.

_'Heart of the cards...please help me!'_ she pleaded before she drew the next card.

Her next card brought her sweet relief as she sighed.

"I'm sorry that you found my skills to be sub-par, but I don't think that you'll be disappointed now."

The Rare Hunter raised an eyebrow under his hood. "Hmm?"

"I play Monster Reborn!" she declared as the card appeared on the field. "You had made me discard my hand earlier in the duel, which I can now thank you for."

The card was released from her graveyard and she placed it on the disk. "I play my Seraph Angel! (3500/3800)"

The Rare Hunter watched in amazement as the feathers storm graced the field with brilliant, pure light, dropping a large ball of light to the field. The angel emerged from the ball once again, showing off her six powerful wings. Mimiki noticed the attention the Rare Hunter gave her monster. He could feel the power that it emanated from it. It was powerful, yet quiet.

"I guess my monster fits the bill to amaze you. How cute." she said with a smirk. "Now Seraph Angel! Attack with Holy Barrage!"

Beams of light rapidly descended on the field, filling it with smoke and shrieks as his monsters were destroyed, dropping his life points to 0.

"This duel is over." Mimiki said. With that, the monsters disappeared and they deactivated their duel disks. Mimiki walked up to him and extended her hand out. "That was a good game, Odion."

Odion then removed his hood and gave her a smile while shaking her hand. She noticed how much he had changed. He was more muscular and a bit taller now, different from the tall and lanky young she remembered. She was happy to see that his manners and consideration for others was still intact.

"Likewise, Miss Mimiki. I'm glad that you managed to turn things around for yourself at the end of the duel. I apologize for my taunts. I knew that you would win, especially with information of Master Marik hanging in the balance."

Mimiki's smile faltered and turned into a sad frown. "Odion, where's Marik? He knows that I'm here. Why hasn't he come to me yet? Why is he trying to hurt my friend?" she asked sadly. Odion frowned at her sadness and placed a hand on her shoulder as he looked her in the eye.

"Master Marik is in the city, but I'm not aware of his exact location at this moment. You're correct, he's absolutely aware of your presence here. He has wanted nothing more but to see you again. He didn't approve of Seeker assaulting you, so he sent me to look after you while he completes his...mission here in Domino City. He doesn't want any harm to come to you. You're definitely an unknown variable in his plans."

"His mission? His mission is complete bullshit! It's ridiculous!" she screamed as tears started to form. "And what does he mean by he doesn't want any harm to come to me?! Doesn't he realize the damage he's already caused?! What's happened to my friend?!"

Odion was still wearing his frown and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"My mission is to aid and serve Master Marik to the best of my ability. I do agree with you, Master Marik is on the warpath towards destruction and it's getting worse as time moves along. The only thing that I can do right now is to watch over him."

Odion paused for a second before continuing. "But he's changed once we found out that you were near, Miss Mimiki. He still cares very much for you."

Mimiki exchanged a sad look with him. 'It doesn't feel like it right now…' she thought. "Changed? How?"

"He wants to protect you. It can't be helped that you're directly involved since you both have past history with each other, so he's made sure that you're not directly involved in his exploits. He has also ordered for no Rare Hunter to approach you. He told me personally that he only entrusts your protection to me, but I didn't actually plan to have an encounter with you during my patrol, nor was I supposed to."

Mimiki sported a look of discomfort and looked away. _'What's up with all of the stalking?! I'll never get used to this!'_

Odion picked up on her thoughts. "Forgive me if it appears that I'm stalking you, Miss Mimiki. I'm only carrying out my orders from Master Marik. It is my duty." he said calmly before speaking again. "Now I believe that you've won a duel and according to Battle City rules, I have to give you something."

"Oh yes, I was so absorbed into talking to you about Marik that I had forgotten…but we didn't even discuss the wager, Odion."

"How many more locator cards do you need to enter the finals?"

Mimiki fished out her cards and flashed them to the tomb keeper. "Just two more."

Odion then gave her two from a hidden pocket in his cape. "There. You're all set to enter now. Like I stated before, I'm aiding Master Marik to the best of my ability. I ask that you do the same." he said with a soft smile. "I won't hold you any longer. Farewell until next time, Miss Mimiki."

The tall man turned away from her and walked away. Mimiki looked down to her locator cards with worry before looking up at Odion's retreating figure. A well of negative feelings entered her heart once more. "Wait!" she called out. Odion stopped, but didn't turn to meet her eyes.

"What's Marik planning to do next?!" she asked taking one step forward. "Please tell me! I don't want this to go any further than it already has."

There was a moment of silence.

"I apologize, but I cannot tell you everything. These events must take place in order for Master Marik to see the error of his ways. You're an intelligent and caring young woman, Miss Mimiki. I know that you'll help him see the light, along with the pharaoh. Good day."

Odion continued to make his exit as his cape flowed with the breeze. Mimiki clinched her complete set of locator cards in frustration as Odion's words rang through her heart. She looked at the cards again.

_'I guess that I have to bite the bullet on this one. Ishizu did say that the finals will be here before I knew it and they are tonight...I just hope that my best will be enough to help Yugi and Marik…At least I don't have to search for other duelists now that I qualify for the finals. My day started out late enough as is!'_

With that thought, she glanced at her phone again and shrieked.

_'2 PM?! I'm so late! I hope everyone is still at the aquarium!'_

She quickly stuffed her locator cards in her backpack and ran off.

Joey just landed the final blow to Mako's life points and the crowd cheered. The gang gathered outside of the aquarium soon after Joey received his locator cards and rare card from Mako.

"Nice job, Joey! You looked like a goner! I thought that Mako was about to kick you down!" Tea said laughing.

"Yea, yea very funny Tea! You know that I had to act like he had me on the ropes! I was dueling in front of a big crowd after all! You know that I gotta give my fans a show!" he said running his hair through his blonde hair and flashing a smile. Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed.

"Sure, sure…" Tea replied.

"Hey!" Mimiki's voice called out suddenly.

Everyone turned in her direction and smiled as she approached them.

"Hey Mims! You finally made it!" Joey exclaimed.

"Yeah! We were worried about you! Do you feel better from last night?" Tea asked.

Mimiki panted as she tried to catch her breath and wiped her forehead. "I'm so sorry that I'm so late. I overslept." she explained. "Thanks for checking up on me! I really appreciate it!" she said with a big smile. "So since I was so late, wanna fill me in? What's been going on all day?"

Joey sported his trademark grin again and flashed his completed set of locator cards again. "I'm glad that you asked Mims because your main man Joey now qualifies for the finals!"

Mimiki was surprised at his display, but she should've known better because it was Joey, after all. But she was happy that something pleasant had happened while she was away. It took her mind off of Marik and her nightmare. "Wow Joey! Congratulations! I'm proud of you!"

"Yeah, we all are buddy!" Tristan chimed him.

Joey couldn't help be blush and smile sheepishly as everyone gave him supporting smiles.

"Aww thanks, guys! Your support means a lot! It really does! Now that I have my set, we can watch Mims win some more duels so she can go to the finals too!"

Mimiki smiled and waved her hand. "There's no need for that, Joseph." she said with a chuckle. "I already qualify." she said after sporting her set of cards. Everyone gasped, but Joey was more dramatic than the others. "WHAT?!" he said stepping back three steps. "When did you get those?!"

"About ten to fifteen minutes ago." she said while she stored them away again. "I had to make up for my tardiness somehow." she added. _'I can thank Odion for that.'_

"Well this calls for a celebration!" Mr. Muto said. "Now we have two Battle City finalists! I'm so proud of you youngsters! You make this old man's heart fill with joy!"

Everyone smiled while Joey let out a loud cheer. "Yeah! I'm so pumped now!" He then turned to the two teenage girls with his hand out. "Can I borrow one of your phones? I wanna call Serenity but I left my phone at home."

Tea beat Mimiki to the punch and started rummaging through her purse for her phone. "Your house is a real great place to keep a cell phone at, Joey. Nice job." Mimiki said sarcastically as Tea handed him the phone.

"Yeah, yeah…you know that I'm a busy duel monsters champion, so it kinda slipped my mind!" he said as smoothly as possible. He couldn't let his friends see him sweat.

Everyone rolled their eyes at his comment as he dialed the hospital. "Please don't let that last duel go to your head, man." Tristan replied.

"Shut up, you nimrod!" he retorted before returning his attention to the phone. "Ah yes, Serenity Wheeler's room please!" he requested. His face lit up when he heard his little sister's voice. "Hello? Serenity!" he said happily. "I hope that you're sitting down, because your big brother made it to the Battle City Finals!"

At the hospital, Serenity was giddy at the news, a wide smile plastered on her face. She was proud to have him as a brother.

"That's great! I knew that you could do it! You're a great duelist."

"Thanks Serenity! With you all to cheer me on, I knew I could make it to the finals! I just wish you could've seen me in action!"

Serenity's smile grew wider. "Well, maybe I can." she suggested happily.

Joey's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about? What about your bandages? Don't your eyes have to rest a bit more?"

Serenity propped herself up in the bed and rocked side to side in excitement.

"Well the doctor said that I could take them off tonight since I did better than expected. That means I'll get my wish: seeing my big bro dueling in the Battle City Finals! I'm so excited!"

Joey's eyes and mouth widened so much if it got any bigger, a bird could build a nest in it. Everyone had smiled at him since it appeared that he was on the receiving end of some good news. "Really? That's great! Good, good! It sounds like you can come home. I'll have someone pick you up and bring you downtown! I can't wait to see you sis! See you soon!"

Joey cheered in excitement as he threw Tea's phone high in the air. She gasped as Mimiki helped her by catching it.

"Joey! Don't you know how to handle people's property!" she screamed. "You know I just bought that phone last week! I had to save up for weeks to buy it!"

"Sorry, but Serenity is taking her bandages off tonight! I'm stoked!"

Tea's expression softened at the news. "Wow! That's great!" she said as Mimiki handed the phone back to Tea. "And she's coming to the finals with us tonight!"

"What wonderful news!" Mr. Muto chimed in. "Even more reason to celebrate!"

Joey nodded in agreement. "Thanks gramps. I just need someone to go and pick her up. Someone I can really depend on, but where am I gonna find someone on such short notice?"

Tristan flailed about, volunteering to pick her up. His crush on his best friend's sister was no secret and it pissed Joey off to no end, but it made a good sitcom to watch the two argue about it. Joey quickly turned to Tristan and pointed a declarative finger to him.

"No, you bastard! You ain't going!" Tristan ignored his attitude and decided to translate that much differently.

"Oh what was that? You want me to go? 'Kay Joey I'll see you when I get back! Don't worry! She'll be in safe hands with me~~!" he yelled running to the train station. Joey growled with frustration.

"TRISTAN GET CHA ASS BACK HERE!"

Mimiki and Tea laughed loudly much to Joey's chagrin. "Mind your language, Joey!" Mr. Muto scolded. "Sorry, gramps!"

Mr. Muto couldn't help but laugh. Watching them brought him back to the days of his youth. 'Ah, young love.' he thought.

"If it'll make you feel better, I'll go with him and make sure he doesn't violate Serenity, okay? Besides, I'm pretty sure she'd love some girl talk on the way back."

"Yeah that's a great idea, Mims! Thanks!"

"It shouldn't take no more than an hour and a half, so why don't we all meet up for a late lunch, maybe even an early dinner? You guys okay with that?" Mimiki asked.

The two nodded. "Yeah that's fine. We'll call you when we pick a place, okay? In the meantime, we'll find Yugi to join us!"

"Sounds like a plan! See ya!"

Mimiki ran off as quickly as she could so she could catch up with Tristan. She hoped that he didn't get too far. Her legs were still burning a bit after her last run.

In a nearby alley, Marik and Bakura were preparing to deceive Joey and Tea. Bakura had ceased the shadow duel, as they were both equally matched. He decided to work alongside with Marik after he had explained his next set of plans to him. It sounded delightful to him. Marik smirked evilly at the friendship gang. "Those idiots don't know what's in store for them. Soon Yugi and the spirit of the puzzle will be groveling at my feet!"

Bakura didn't care. He just wanted the millennium items. Marik caught his attention when he heard Marik gasp. He looked up and caught a glimpse of Mimiki's fleeting form.

"Mimi!" he exclaimed.

The spirit's curiosity was officially piqued. "Oh, so you know the girl?"

Marik cursed inwardly as he realized that he allowed a personal part of him to be exposed.

"That girl has nothing to do with our deal, tomb robber." he spat with venom in his eyes. Bakura smirked at his comment and started to put two and two together.

"Oh really? By the sound of your voice, she seems to be of some importance to you and you addressed her by a nickname." he pointed out. "Are you two, dare I say—lovers?"

Marik snarled at his comment as Bakura smiled evilly. Marik's feelings for her was evident in his eyes and body language. Bakura was elated to have something to hang over Marik's head.

"So she is your lover!" he said in a twisted and happy voice. "Is she apart of your plans too? Why didn't you say anything? I didn't know that the girl could be so devious! Those idiots will be crushed by her betrayal! This plan keeps getting better and better!"

_'Mimi's deviousness is nothing compared to mine! Her's is child's play.'_

Marik quickly cut Bakura's annoying onslaught of questions.

"Mimi isn't devious, tomb robber!" Marik spat in her defense. 'Not like you think, anyway!' he thought.

"She has nothing to do with this. She doesn't even know that I'm here in the city, so shut up! Help me with this plan or our deal is off!"

Bakura snickered evilly; he could have some fun screwing with Marik's feelings. He folded his arms and looked at Marik. "Fine Marik, but this better work or else."

Marik wasn't phased by his comment and unsheathed the sharp dagger from the millennium rod and quickly stabbed the boy deeply in his left arm. Bakura let out a small scream of pain, but after the initial stab, the pain felt euphoric. He removed the dagger as Marik cleaned it before storing it away. He stumbled until Marik caught him and lifted him up.

"I hope that your acting skills are top notch. Now let's go."

"Likewise, Marik."

The spirit released his hold on his host and he hissed in pain, almost enough to make him cry. Marik's voice changed into a softer tone as he helped Bakura. "Don't worry, I'll help you!"

Bakura was happy for this stranger's offer to help and allowed him to take the lead. The two started to approach Joey and Tea slowly until they caught their attention. Bakura whimpered in pain again as they ran up to him.

"Bakura! What happened?" Tea asked.

Marik looked up at them worryingly. "I found him lying in the alley over there. He has a stab wound and I tried to treat his injury." he stated before looking at them. He flashed an innocent smile.

"Do you know him? He hasn't said a word since I found him."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, he's our friend. But who do you think could've done this?"

"Joey…" Bakura whispered weakly. "Bakura! What happened? You look awful man!"

The british boy looked at him weakly. "I don't know...it all happened so quickly…I can't remember..."

Marik looked up to them. "I'm lucky that I found you all. He needs to go to a hospital quickly."

"You're right." Tea replied.

"I'd say that Bakura's the lucky one." Mr. Muto said. "I'll take him to the hospital. Tea can you call a taxi for us please?"

"Sure thing." she said as she whipped out her phone again. Soon the taxi came and Joey helped Mr. Muto with getting Bakura inside the cab. "Don't worry. I'll call if there's some news."

Joey nodded. "Alright. Best of luck!" Joey said. "Good luck!" Tea said.

Unknown to their knowledge, Yami and Kaiba walked past them all, but didn't see them as the taxi blocked their view. Yami started walking a bit faster as the approached the aquarium. People were scattered about and enjoying their day, unlike the pharaoh.

"My friends are in a great deal of trouble, Kaiba. I hope that you've lead me to the right place."

"Relax Yugi, your friends are here." he said a tad bit annoyed.

"How can you be so certain?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Look, Kaiba Corp satellites traced Joey Wheeler's duel disk to these exact coordinates. I personally made sure that the best technology was used for my tracking system. It's foolproof."

With those words, Yami quickly dashed off to the aquarium as Kaiba scoffed. "Why Yugi cares about that third rate duelist is beyond me. Soon he'll have bigger problems." he said smirking as he followed him in.

Meanwhile, Bakura and Mr. Muto were off to the hospital. Joey extended his hand out to Marik. "Thanks a lot...uh...fellah!" he said with a smile.

Tea quickly drank in his image as she took in Marik's features. His muscular tan body, lavender eyes and how his platinum blonde hair contrasted with his skin tone was downright sexy. She blushed a tad as she noticed his exotic features, not to mention the scent of his cologne made her mind go south. She hoped that she could get him to notice her and hoped even more that he didn't have a girlfriend.

"What he means to say is that we haven't introduced ourselves." she said a little sweeter than normal and batted her eyelashes at him. Marik started to catch on to her actions. He remembered Mimiki doing it once or twice before.

'Dammit, this girl is flirting with me! I have no interest in her. I have Mimi! Keep calm Marik! Don't let this girl get in the way with your plan!'

Marik continued to smile at them.

"I'm Namu. And you are?" he asked as he returned Joey's handshake.

"The name's Joey."

"And I'm Tea. Thanks for all your help."

Marik smiled sheepishly. "Of course, it's no problem. I just did what anyone else would've done."

Joey noticed Marik's duel disk on his arm. "Is that a duel disk you're sporting?"

Marik looked down at the item on his arm. "Yes, but I'm afraid that I'm not that great of a duelist, but I've gotten lucky so far. I've won four locator cards. I guess it's dumb luck. You're not challenging me to a duel, are you Joey?"

Joey quickly smirked and placed a fist on his chest. "I don't have to duel. I'm already qualified for the finals, Namu!"

Marik grew a bit annoyed with his confidence, but he didn't let that mess up his charade. "Wow! Impressive! You must be good! Maybe you could give me some tips one day!"

Joey continued to bask in his confidence as Tea mentally excused his behavior. She hope that he didn't leave a bad impression with Namu. She'd be damned if she lost a chance with Namu because of him!

"I'll see if I can fit you in!"

Marik looked around and wondered where Mimiki ran off to. _'She seemed to be a hurry.'_

"I feel like as if I've met you all before." he started off. "I also feel like you should have more friends in the tournament. You both seem like nice people. You're not the only one of your friends, competing, are you Joey?"

Joey chuckled. "I know what you mean. No, I'm not the only one. Now that I qualify for the finals, my sister is coming to see me duel! Our friends Tristan and Mims just left before you came to pick her up from the hospital. Mims is also competing in the finals with me. We have another friends competing too, but we haven't seen them today."

Marik's eye twitched a bit at the name "Mims". More irritation had set in and he tried his best to hide it. He sported his best curious face to them.

"Mims? That's an interesting name. Is that their full name?" he asked.

"Oh no, her full name is Mimiki. Joey just calls her "Mims" for short."

Marik mentally exploded. 'What the hell kind of name is "Mims"?! How dare he call her that! And why does she allow him to call her that ridiculous name?!' He quickly recovered from his mental rant and continued his charade.

"It's too bad that you missed them. I'm pretty sure that they would've loved to meet you, Namu." Tea said sweetly. 'Because I sure did!'

Ignoring her flirts, he smiled again. "Likewise Tea. I'm sure they're just as nice as you two."

"Yeah, they are. We're going to meet up with my sister, Tristan, Mims later and another friend later. Maybe we'll see you at the finals. Smell you later, Namu! " he said as he waved goodbye. Tea waved and winked at him before she left with Joey.

Although disgusted by her flirtatious advances, Marik felt another bomb explode in his brain.

_'If I hear him call her that name one more time...her name is "Mimi"!'_ he growled. He quickly calmed himself down and focused on the next matter at hand.

_'No matter...those idiots have no clue who I really am and the danger that's in store for them! Joey shall be the first to fall to my mind control against Yugi. Once I've disposed of them, I won't have to worry about that confident happy-go-lucky bastard coming near my Mimi ever again! It's perfect that Mimi wasn't here anyways. She definitely would've blown my cover. No worries though. I plan on seeing her real soon.'_

"Nice meeting you two!" he replied back.

Marik quickly created a mind link with his two masked Rare Hunters that were watching Yugi and Kaiba from the sky, perched on a roof. These two Rare Hunters had already dueled the spirit and Kaiba before they could reach the aquarium and suffered defeat at the hands of Kaiba's god card.

_"Listen my Rare Hunters! Everything's coming together, so obey my orders and don't fail me this time! Did you confirm that Seto Kaiba has Obelisk?"_

They thought back to Obelisk's attack and how powerful is was, but they were eager to please Marik.

_"Yes Master Marik! He has it!"_ one man confirmed.

_"Obelisk is very powerful. Are you sure that you'll be able to defeat them? Don't underestimate the power of those Egyptian god cards! Defeating them will be difficult!"_

_"Yes Master Marik! Do not worry, we don't fail you. We will defeat them and take Obelisk and Slifer back for you by using our special deck."_ the other man said.

Marik wasn't completely convinced and frowned at their overconfidence, but he allowed the plan to go on.

"Duel them, but don't kill them. I plan to make them suffer first."

_"Yes, Master Marik."_ they said in unison.

Marik ended the link and scowled. He had a feeling that they would mess up, so he decided to put his other plan into action. He made another mind link and ordered another group to Rare Hunters to follow along. Afterwards, Marik quickly shut off the mind link and ran up to Joey and Tea. "Hey Joey, Tea! Wait up!"

The two turned around to face him and Tea was obviously happy that he came to them. It must be her lucky day! And this time she could say that she saw him first...so she thought.

"What's up, Namu?" Joey asked smiling. "I don't mean to be an inconvenience, but do you mind giving me a few dueling tips right now? I really want to make it to the finals."

"Sure, I can give you a few pointers." Joey said, unbeknownst the Rare Hunters approaching them from behind. "Thanks! I'd like to win at least one duel in Battle City."

"You've come to the right place, Namu! I've got so many dueling secrets, it'll make your head spin!" he said proudly.

While Joey started rambling about dueling tips and tricks, Marik pretended to look shocked. "Watch out Joey! Behind you!" he yelled. As soon as Joey turned around, one Rare Hunter punched him in the face and another grabbed Marik and punched him in his stomach. Pain filled his features, along with anger. "Not that hard, you bastards! Don't forget who you work for!" he roared. "Sorry Master Marik!"

They quickly dropped Marik to the ground and kicked him while he covered his face. "Joey! Tea! Run!" he pleaded. Joey rubbed his jaw and ran for the men, fists ready and willing.

"Hey! What the hell is your problem?!" he asked. He quickly punched two of the three men, but the third one apprehended Tea. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm a bit and she screamed. Joey turned around and was about to slug him until the two that he punched pulled him back and gave him a double knuckle sandwich, knocking him to the ground. Afterwards, Tea's cell phone started to ring. One of the men rummaged through her purse and took the phone out and answered it.

"Hello?" a familiar voice asked. "Tea is that you?" Yami asked.

Tea started to panic. "Yugi help!" she pleaded. Before Yami could respond, the man dropped her phone and stomped it with his foot, damaging it beyond repair.

On the other line, Yami called out to her.

"Tea! Tea where are you?!" he screamed. "TEA!" Yami then remembered Marik's words from earlier. He slammed the phone down and growled.

"We're too late, Kaiba! Marik's men got them!"

Kaiba also growled. 'This is getting too bizarre for me! They're going too far now! Even if it's Wheeler involved!'

They were interrupted when the emblem on Kaiba's coat started to beep. He pressed down on it and and pulled closer to his mouth. "Yes?" he answered.

"Seto!" Mokuba's voice cried out. "We lost Joey's signal. It's not appearing on our system. Kai and I are going to head back to headquarters to find out what's going on."

"Hm…" he muttered as he narrowed his eyes. "That's fine. Make sure you two stay together. I'll be heading that way myself. I don't like what's going on here."

"Roger that, Seto!" Mokuba ended the transmission and packed up his tablet in a heavy briefcase that was half his size.

"I'll carry it Mokuba. It looks too heavy for you." Kakayu offered. Mokuba didn't want to look like the child he was, but he was happy to not have to carry the briefcase for a moment. Kakayu lifted it and they started walking for a while until Kakayu started to notice that they were being followed by strange men. She could tell that Mokuba hadn't noticed them yet.

"Mokuba," she said low and seriously, causing him to look a her. He saw where she was looking and started to panic. "Run!" she commanded. They both sprinted away and the Rare Hunters were in hot pursuit. The briefcase was weighing her down, so she dumped it and grabbed Mokuba's wrist and ran faster. The poor boy couldn't keep up with her speed and he tripped.

"Mokuba!" she cried. She ran back to him and tried to help him up until a large man hovered over them, along with more men. Her eyes shrank in fear.

Mimiki had caught up with Tristan and they made it to the hospital. Luckily for them, Serenity was all ready to go and more than excited to finally be discharged.

"Hey Serenity," Tristan said "We're here to pick you up!"

Serenity pondered his words. "We?" she asked.

"Oh yes! I forgot!" Mimiki exclaimed. "We haven't met before. I'm Mimiki, a friend of Joey and Tea. It's finally nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you! Congratulations on your discharge."

Serenity smiled at her kind words and lent out her hand for a handshake which Mimiki returned. "Thank you! It's so nice that Joey has such nice friends! Thank you both for picking me up!"

"Not a problem, Serenity! We're all going to have fun tonight! Mimiki and Joey will both be in the finals tonight and I'm pretty sure that Yugi will be too!"

"Wow! Mimiki you're a duelist too? That's amazing! Tonight sounds like it'll be a ton of fun! I can't wait!"

Mimiki chuckled at her excitement. "We'll let's not delay it any further! I hope that you're hungry! We're going to eat when we meet up with everyone."

Serenity's stomach growled loudly and she blushed. "Yes...I'd love some food."

"Alright! Let's head out!" Tristan commanded. He tried to grab Serenity's hand, but Mimiki slapped his hand and shook her finger at him in a "no way" manner.

"Joey sent me here to make sure that you don't violate Serenity!" she whispered to him. "Because of you, I had to run like a maniac to catch up with you! My legs hurt like hell! As long as I'm here, you're on probation!" she whispered a little louder.

Before Tristan could retort, Mimiki had already started leading Serenity down the hall.

"So Serenity what are you looking forward to the most? Keep this a secret, but Kaiba's got something big planned for the finals! I'm so excited!"

The two girl disappeared around the corner, leaving him to fume. He couldn't believe Joey! He actually sent Mimiki to cockblock him! Tristan balled up his fist and shed a few tears. Joey was gonna get it when they got back!

Yugi and Kaiba started walking back to the Kaiba Corp when two Rare Hunters, the short one wearing an evil version of a half of a drama mask, flipped and dived down from the rooftop and landed in front of them. Yami growled.

"What have you done with my friends?! Tell me!" he demanded.

The short Rare Hunter only responded and pointed up to the sky. A strong wind overpowered them. They both looked up to find Mokuba dangling from the bottom of a flying helicopter. He was trying to scream out to them, but the sound of the rotor blades drowned him out. Kaiba was severely pissed off now. How dare they assault his brother!

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve for touching my brother! I'll crush you with the entire weight of the Kaiba Corporation!" he threatened. He quickly gasped again. _'If Mokuba is here, then where is Kakayu?!'_

"Where's the girl he was with?! What did you do to her?!"

The short man smiled evilly, not threatened by Kaiba's words and taking great pleasure in witnessing the young CEO lose his cool. The helicopter flew away before he responded.

"If you want your brother back, you'll duel my associate and I on top of that building." he said as he pointed to a tall building to their left. "As for the girl and her two friends, Master Marik wanted to have a nice word with them. Now don't keep us waiting!"

He quickly scaled the nearby building and ran away before they could respond. They hated to be placed between a rock and a hard place, but they had no choice but to accept the challenge. They now had the same enemies.

At Domino Harbor in the warehouse section, a Rare Hunter opened the door to a storage room, threw Tea in and locked the door behind him. She rubbed her wrists and face from the recoil from being thrown so hard onto the concrete floor. She then ran up to the door and started to pound away.

"Let me out!" he demanded. She was met with silence.

She growled and sat near a pile of cardboard boxes. The concrete floor was a bit cold and she regretted wearing shorts that day.

_'What do they want with Joey and I? Where is he? Namu too?'_ she thought. When she thought about a little longer, the answer came to her and she gasped in worry.

"Yugi…" she muttered. "Help us!" she cried.

Not too long later, Kakayu and Mokuba was thrown into the same room. The Rare Hunters locked the door as fast as they could. Kakayu had put up one hell of a fight and they had to call extra men to subdue her.

"Mokuba! Kakayu!" Tea cried out. "Tea!" they said in unison. "You're here too?" Kakayu asked.

"Yeah! Those men want to hurt Yugi! They assaulted Joey and I!"

"Then why are we here?" Mokuba asked.

Kakayu's eyes narrowed. "They want Kaiba's god card. Yugi's too." she explained. "If you're here, was Mimiki with you?"

Tea shooked her head. "She's with Tristan right now. They went to the hospital to pick up Joey's sister."

Kakayu swore. She never would've thought that she'd end up in this kind of situation. She scanned the room and devised a plan. "Mokuba," she said. "You're our only hope. Go find Mimiki, Kaiba and Yugi and tell them where we are! You're the only one that can fit in the window!" she explained, pointing up to a high window. Mokuba's pupils shrank. "But…"

"Please Mokuba, no "buts"! Tea! Help me stack those boxes so we can get Mokuba out of here!"

"Right!"

The two started stacking the boxes and Mokuba joined in to help. Minutes later, they finally made a pyramid of boxes tall enough to reach the window.

"Okay Mokuba. It's your turn!" Tea said.

Mokuba looked at the two in worry.

"We'll be okay! Just find the others!" Kakayu said.

Mokuba wanted to fight, but he knew what was more important. He started to climb and was halfway out of the window when the Rare Hunters came in and tried to stop them. Kakayu and Tea quickly pushed Mokuba through the window and they fell to the bottom when the Rare Hunters made their makeshift pyramid collapse. Mokuba looked down to them, feeling guilty in leaving them behind. They were moving slowly as they came to.

"Run Mokuba!" they yelled.

Mokuba ran away before other Rare Hunters could catch him. He wouldn't disappoint the girls.

Forty five minutes later, the four duelists were still battling on top of the skyscraper. The tag team duel had proved difficult for Yami. Kaiba wasn't too keen on cooperating with him, and to make matter's worse, the loser would plummet to their deaths from the glass rooftop. Their decks held tons of ominous mask cards that proved difficult to play against, but they managed Yami was determined to save his friends and Kaiba the same. They were finally on Kaiba's turn. Kaiba smiled evilly and his pupils shrank. Yami was trying to figure out what made him go on like that and their opponents felt like he was bluffing.

"This is what you fuckers get for using my brother and my girlfriend against me! I play soul exchange to sacrifice your monsters to summon my god card!" he said as he slammed his card into the duel disk. Obelisk made another grand entrance, filling the air with its terrifying power.

"Obelisk! Attack Umbra now!"

The monster complied and slammed his fist down upon them, lowering their life points to zero. The glass rooftop had collapsed under the tall Rare Hunters', Umbra's, feet and he plummeted down until he used a parachute to save him from death. Kaiba wasn't satisfied. He wanted to attack Lumis, but Marik took control of his mind first.

"Hello again you two."

The men both grimmed the mindless zombie.

"Thank you for allowing my Rare Hunters to complete their task and allowing me to see the amazing power of Obelisk! I hold your friends and family captive. Just because you won doesn't mean that you'll be rescuing them anytime soon! I've been studying your decks, and Obelisk pales in comparison to my god card, Ra. I'll win it from you soon, Kaiba." he said with a confident voice. Then he turned to Yugi.

"And I haven't forgotten about you, Yugi! I'll have your god card and millennium puzzle, too. The spirit of the puzzle must die to appease the tomb keeper's anger!" he explained.

"Where are my friends?!" Yami asked again.

Marik smirked evilly and looked over to Kakayu, Joey and Tea who all held blank stares in their eyes. "Don't worry about them. They're safe and sound right here with me…" he said. "But they're not on your side any more…it seems like their allegiance lies with me! It's funny how our friends are so quick to turn…"

Yami felt like he was going to blow a gasket. "I'm the one you want so leave my friends out of this! You're a coward for using them! Why don't you come out and face me yourself instead of hiding behind your mind slaves?!"

Marik looked down to the rod with an evil smile before looking back at his new mind slaves. "Why would I do that when controlling people's minds is much more fun?"

"Tell me where they are Marik!" Yami demanded.

Suddenly, Kaiba approached Lumis, obviously still not happy with the situation. He grabbed the short man by his robe and hoisted him in the air.

"Look I don't know who the hell you are, but you better tell me where Mokuba and Kakayu are!" he roared. "I won this battle! So release my little brother and girlfriend now like you said you would!"

Kaiba was clinching the robe so hard that his knuckles were beginning to turn white as he shook with anger. Marik scoffed at him. "You trust me? You're more of an idiot than I thought!"

Clearly enraged by the betrayal, Kaiba felt like he could chew diamonds.

"Where the fuck are they?!"

"Kaiba! Stop!" Yami screamed. "Don't waste your energy. He's clearly not going to tell us where everyone is."

Kaiba growled and dropped Lumis. "No shit, Sherlock!" Marik said before he let out a hefty laugh. He then released his hold on Lumis. Yami turned to Kaiba.

"Well we're on our own to find them. Can we use your tracking system to find them?"

Kaiba focused his trademark glare on him. "First things first, Yugi! This Rare Hunter owes us something!"

He searched Lumis' robe and found two locator cards. He gave one to Yugi and pocketed the other. "This was an official Battle City duel. Now we both qualify for the finals."

Yami glared at him. "How can you possibly think about that after what Marik said? We have to find my friends and your brother!" he stressed. Kaiba turned away from him.

"I'm well aware of that, Yugi!"

Yami was growing tired of Kaiba's attitude, so he decided to play instigator. "We also have to find your girlfriend…" he said with a quizzical look on his face. Kaiba turned and glared at him.

"What did you say?!"

"Well you said that Marik has your brother and your girlfriend, which I'm assuming is Kakayu since you two spend a lot of time in each other's company. You did say "girlfriend" twice already. I didn't know that you two were official!"

Kaiba began to growl and balled his fist. "I didn't say that!"

Yami's eyes narrowed with a smile. He could've sworn that Kaiba blushed a bit. "Glad to see that I got your attention, Kaiba. Don't think that I didn't hear that." he said while walking closer to the CEO. "Now let's focus on finding them! Help me come up with a plan. Every second counts!"

Suddenly a helicopter rose above them bearing the Kaiba Corp logo. "Isn't that one of your helicopters, Kaiba?"

Mokuba stood in front on the door. "It's me Seto! I'm okay!" he shouted.

The two gasped in shock, Kaiba's mood being alleviated a bit. "Mokuba! You escaped!" he said happily as they ran for the helicopter that was now landing on the helipad. Mokuba jumped out and ran for his big brother, the two connecting in a hug. Kaiba then inspected him for signs of abuse.

"Tell me, are you okay Mokuba?" he asked.

"Yes, but I had to leave Tea and Kakayu behind. They told me to leave to find you. They risked themselves to get me out!"

"Are they okay?" Yami asked. "What about Joey, Tristan and Mimiki?"

Mokuba gave him a worried look. "I'm not sure about Joey. Tea said that Tristan and Mimiki were together picking up Joey's sister from the hospital. Up until they helped me escape, they were doing just fine. We got to go back there!" Mokuba explained.

Yami gasped while Kaiba growled again. "Get in the chopper now, Yugi! Tea and Kakayu saved Mokuba's life and as much as I hate to get involved in this, I hate owing people favors even more! I owe them a debt of gratitude. Let's go!" he shouted.

The three boarded the helicopter and took off. Kaiba commanded Mokuba to track Joey's signal and Mimiki's for good measure.

"I found Joey's signal at the harbor and Mimiki's moving rapidly on the Tokaido Shinkasen Line. I'm setting the course for the harbor!" Mokuba said as he typed away at the onboard systems. Kaiba folded his arms and nodded. While the flew to the harbor, Yami whipped out Yugi's cell phone from his pocket.

"I'm calling Mimiki right now to inform her of what's going on." he commented.

The bullet train on the Tokaido Shinkasen Line stopped at Tamachi. Tristan ran off the train to a food stop on the platform to grab some food and quickly ran back to the train. He sighed in relief that he made it just in time before the doors closed. He was sure that he set a record! He walked back to the girls with a stack of bento and some drinks.

"Tristan! Did you have to buy so much? We just wanted a snack! We're going out to eat remember?" Mimiki said.

Her words fell on deaf ears. He just wanted to impress Serenity to show that he could cater to her needs.

"This is a snack! I got a variety of things so we wouldn't have to choose!" he said as he smiled at Serenity. Her stomach growled again. "Wow Tristan! That was so nice of you! You didn't have to go through so much trouble!" she said in a sweet voice, making him blush wildly while Mimiki rolled her eyes. Tristan opened a bento for her.

"Aww it's no problem Serenity! I have to look out for my friends!"

Mimiki took a can of juice and a rice ball and began to eat. Seconds later her phone rang and she quickly answered it.

"Hello? Yugi? Can I call you when we get to Domino Station? We're on the train and you know it's rude to talk on the phone while on the train."

"I'm sorry, but this is important!" he stressed.

Mimiki looked out the window with worry. She was afraid to ask, but she had to face the music. "...What's up?" she asked quietly. Yami's words made her heart sink again for what she felt the millionth time that day as he explained what happened. Her expression didn't go unnoticed by Tristan.

"Okay Yugi. We'll be there as soon as possible. Be careful!" She hung up the phone and her eyes met with Tristan's.

"There's trouble. We have to go to the harbor ASAP." she said calmly. She didn't want to scare Serenity. Mimiki lost her appetite and continued to look out of the window, negative emotions taking residence on her face again.

_'Well this day has been nothing short of a disaster! Why Marik? Why?'_ she thought as she gripped her phone with a vice grip. She tried not to cry in front of Tristan and Serenity in fear of possibly blowing her cover about her involvement in the situation at hand. She wasn't ready to deal with their possible reactions. She let out a deep breath and continued to nip at her rice ball as a distraction.

_'What could you possibly have planned for them at the docks, Marik? I swear if you hurt any of them, you won't have to worry about them hurting you when we get out of this...I'll hurt you myself!'_


	5. Predestined Reunion Part 1

At Domino Harbor, Marik walked outside with Joey, Tea and Kakayu following behind him. He was awaiting Yugi and Kaiba's arrival any minute now. Soon afterwards, Odion appeared before Marik and bowed before him. Odion was happy that he arrived just in time.

"Master Marik, I have retrieved twelve locator cards as you requested."

He handed the platinum blonde a complete set and watched him smile evilly.

"Good work, Odion. You've done well." Marik praised. "Now we both qualify for the finals if need be. Give the friendly bastard Joey the deck we've prepared for him."

Odion turned to the mindless Joey and handed him a new deck. "Replacing his weaker deck with this more powerful one filled with rare magic cards was an excellent idea, Master Marik."

Marik smiled in agreement. Odion never let him down. Marik decided to keep an extra tight grip on Joey's mind as punishment for calling his precious Mimi "Mims". He still couldn't believe that she allowed him to address her as such and he thought that he was the only man outside of her family to call her any nickname. The thought of any man getting close to her made him sick.

_'Mimi is mine and mine alone, you bastard!'_ he thought. As a result, his hair started to spike upwards again.

_'Just for calling her that a million times, you have the honor of dueling our awaited guest! When this is over, you'll never call her that ridiculous name ever again! Speaking of my precious Mimi...'_ he thought.

Odion was alarmed at Marik's hair, but his pulse slowed after seeing it return to normal. He made a note to keep Marik closer now.

"Before the pharaoh arrives, tell me, were you able to find Mimi and keep an eye on her without her knowing?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Marik." he lied. "She had won two locator cards. I overheard that she has secured her spot in the finals. She was downtown with her friends near the aquarium and parted with them later. She seemed to be going towards the train station. None of our men came near her, per your warning."

Odion decided to keep his encounter with Mimiki a secret. Before the double duel started to go south, he had ordered Odion to retrieve enough locator cards so they could secure spots in the finals. Odion had a feeling that the duel would turn sour, so he was one step ahead of Marik and retrieved some beforehand. He had to compete in more duels than expected since he lost two to Mimiki, but he didn't mind admitting defeat to her. He knew that she was one of the keys to bring Marik to his senses.

_'I hope that this plan fails so we can go to the finals. He needs to see Miss Mimiki, but I don't think it'll be such a pleasant reunion…I pray that she can talk him out of this.'_

"Besides that, she seemed to be doing well, Master Marik."

Marik seemed to believe his story, as he did see her leave her friends earlier himself. He smiled when he heard of her victories. _'Maybe losing this duel won't sting so much if I it means that I get to see her in person...good job, Mimi!'_

"Good work Odion." Odion bowed. "Thank you, Master Marik. It's a pleasure to serve you."

Marik turned and looked at his new mind slaves and snickered. "The pharaoh should be here soon. Let's prepare for his arrival. It's time to use his loyal friends against him, don't you all agree?"

The three stared blankly at Marik and they nodded their heads.

"You all are so quiet! It's like you don't have a mind of your own!" he said sarcastically before letting out a cackling laugh. "Let's go!" he commanded. Odion nodded and followed Marik and the girls as they left Joey by his lonesome.

Minutes later, the helicopter was getting closer to the harbor.

"I hope that Joey is okay…" he said.

Kaiba huffed. "You're too naive, Yugi." he said. Yami turned to him. "What do you mean, Kaiba?"

Kaiba returned the stare. "If Marik has the power to brainwash people, do you honestly think that he'll play nice? He must've brainwashed Wheeler to become a hellbent dog that's ready to bite you to death." he said sarcastically, causing Yami to glare at him.

"What? I mean if I was Marik, that's what I would do, no offense."

But Yami did take offense to his comment. "I'll save him, even if I have to risk my life!" he yelled.

"And I understand that. I'd do the same for Mokuba and Kakayu. But I feel like you're about to contradict yourself." he stated. "You allowed me to see the power of cooperation in our last duel. But by looking at Marik's track record, it seems now that you'll have to battle Wheeler until the bitter end. Will you have the power of cooperation between the two of you then? Answer me that, Yugi."

Yami's eyes narrowed at Kaiba's truth and he didn't reply.

_'I know that you can't answer me. I don't know how I'm about to get Kakayu out of this either. It's my fault that she's involved.'_

Mokuba looked out the window. "Hey guys!" he said. "I think that someone is down there! It looks like Joey!"

Yami looked towards Mokuba's side. "It is Joey!"

"Land the chopper!" Kaiba said. The helicopter began its descent and Yami began to fill with worry, but he decided not to let that get in the way from saving his friends.

"The answer you seek is here, Kaiba."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? You don't say? Interesting…" he replied. The helicopter finally landed near Joey. His eyes were hidden under his mound of blonde hair. Marik was back on his yacht, which was docked not too far away. He watched through Joey's empty eyes. He snickered as he saw the three boys move closer to Joey.

"It's time to watch someone's spirit get crushed! Kill him, my mind slave!"

Joey lifted his head and smiled evilly at them, ready to carry out Marik's commands.

"Welcome! I've been waiting for you!"

Mokuba gasped at the change in Joey's voice. It sounded like him, but it sounded mechanical as well with a deeper evil voice behind it. "What's wrong with his voice?" the younger Kaiba asked. "It doesn't sound much like Joey..."

"That's because Marik is in control." Yami replied. 'But I can't let that stop me from reaching out to Joey!' he thought.

"Joey! Are you there? It's me! Don't let Marik control you!" he pleaded.

"There's no use in trying to reach out to your stupid ass friend!" Marik said through Joey.

Yami didn't let his words get to him. He had faith in Joey. "Wake up, Joey! I know that you can hear me! Marik is controlling your mind and you must break free! Marik couldn't defeat me in a duel, so he brainwashed you to get what he wants. I promise that I'll set you free!"

Joey flashed him an evil grin. "He's wide awake alright...wide awake to smack your ass straight into the ground!" he replied. "You'll never set him free unless you follow me, Yugi!" Yugi was taken aback that he couldn't reach out to Joey. Joey started to walk away from him. Yami's body stiffened.

'If I don't go, I know we'll be walking right into another death trap! But if I don't, I'll never save Tea, Joey and Kakayu! What am I going to do?!'

"Yugi!" a feminine voice called out. He turned around to see Tea walking out of the huge red, black and white cruise liner that was docked next to them. His heart broke when his eye met with her blank sky blue ones. Her voice held the same evil as Joey's. "Tea!" he called out.

"You better do exactly as I say! This may come as an unpleasant surprise, but just like your friend Joey, Tea is also my puppet! And I couldn't let the poor girl be alone, so I arranged for a friend to join her!"

Kakayu walked out the line cruise liner after Tea, looking at them all with her blank teal eyes. "Kakayu wanted to join the party as well! Hehehe…."

"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!"

Kaiba's blood boiled and Mokuba's heart sank. They felt helpless as they could do nothing but watch at the moment.

"Turning their friends against them is the best plan I've come up with yet!" Marik boasted to himself. He had retreated back to his yacht and stood at the bow of the ship, sporting his trademark evil grin with his arms crossed.

"You're both at my mercy!" he said through Kakayu. Yami and Kaiba called out to the girls, but they didn't respond and kept walking until they reached an odd looking cargo platform. The platform was made out of wood and was shaped like a square, but the middle was missing, revealing the ocean below. A steel frame hugged the perimeter of the platform several feet high. In the top of the middle of the frame had a row of steel that divided it across. It had a crane held a large anchor above the middle of the platform.

"Welcome to my special dueling arena! Look around you!" he commanded through Tea. "Should you accept, you'll of course be battling against your worthless friend in a duel for the highest stakes imaginable!"

Yami took his place on the platform across from Joey and looked back at Tea and Kakayu. He balled his fists. "Okay. If it means that I'll save them, let's start."

The girls grinned and held up one shackle each. "Glad you see it my way." he said through Tea. "Why don't you both try these on for size?"

The girls locked them both in shackles that led up to the anchor above them. Joey turned to Kakayu.

"Kakayu! Please tell our contestants what's planned for them tonight!"

Marik made Kakayu pose like a game host assistant, directing their attention with her arms and hands, making her add an evil smile for good measure.

"Please notice that you both are fastened securely to a chain that's connected to the large anchor that hangs above your head. Thirty seconds after a player's life points reaches zero or the timer runs down to zero, the lovely bomb attached to the anchor will explode and will send you on a complimentary one way trip to the ocean floor! There, you will enjoy amenities such as a sea salt water body wrap, as you float in your deathbed." Kakayu said.

Joey snickered. "That's right! Thank you Kakayu! That was lovely!" he said sarcastically. "Now look down!" he commanded. He was pointing to a small yellow box that was similar to the box he used in his duel with Pandora, life point counter and all.

"This small yellow box is your life point counter, but it also contains the key to your survival. When the loser loses, the winner's life point box will open. It contains the key to unlock your shackle. Remember that you have thirty seconds to free yourself before the bomb explodes!"

Yami's eyes narrowed. "So let me get this straight: you're making us duel to the death and only one of us can escape at the last second?!"

"Bingo!" the girls said in unison.

"I refuse to have such a reckless duel against Joey!" Yami yelled.

Joey laughed manically. "Unless you have a plan to release yourself from your new footwear, you have no choice!" he pointed out. "Either you win and you'll have to try to fish your stupid friend out of the ocean before he dies or you lose and die! It's your choice! Not my problem, though!" he said before laughing maniacally again.

"And to make sure that you all don't get any funny ideas…" Joey said directing Yami's and Kaiba's attention to the girls. They had walked to an area near the platform. They sat in two chairs and another Rare Hunter pressed some buttons on their chairs, binding them by their feet and arms. A crane held a large metal crate above their heads.

"Our lovely ladies will also die if you try to escape before this duel is over! One false move, and my Rare Hunter will press a button that will release the crate that will also explode!"

Kaiba cursed under his breath. He was so into focusing on Joey and Yami that he didn't notice the girls slip by him and Mokuba. He lost his chance at saving them, and he hated to be held hostage by a lunatic.

"You're insane!" Yami shouted.

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "Call it what you want." He quickly held up his duel disk and activated it. "Before we start, there's one more thing that we need to take care of."

Yami listened attentively.

"God cards are off limits. Take Slifer out of your deck right now!" he demanded.

Yami glared at him and willingly removed Slifer from his deck, slipping it into his deck box that was attached to his belt. "Just so you know, I never intended on using Slifer. It's way too dangerous and I refuse to hurt my friends!"

"Yeah whatever." he said. "Next, I invite the girls and the Kaiba brothers to watch this spectacle!"

Marik released Tea and Kakayu's minds. They fainted for a minute, then finally came to. After their vision cleared, they both found themselves locked in their chairs and started struggling. Tea made eye contact with Yami and Kakayu with Kaiba. Fear and confusion was written on their faces.

"Yugi! Kaiba!" they shouted. "What's going on?! Help us!" they pleaded. Their hearts broke as they watched them struggle and they couldn't save them.

"Let them go!" Yami and Kaiba yelled in unison. Their words fell on deaf ears.

Marik appeared in Joey's mind. "Kill that son of bitch, mind slave!"

Joey nodded. "Yes, Master Marik." he replied.

"Now let's get started. You have sixty minutes to save your stupid friend! It's time to duel!"

Yami gritted his teeth again as he saw the the clock count down. _'I have to win this duel! I just have to!'_

_____________________

Mimiki, Serenity, and Tristan arrived at Domino Station minutes later. After they left the station, they started to walk towards the harbor, hoping that nothing bad would happen before they arrived there.

"I just realized that it's going to be a bit of a walk Serenity. I hope that you won't mind walking." Mimiki said.

Serenity nodded. "It's quite alright. It seems like a beautiful day and I've been in the hospital for a while, so this is a nice change."

Tristan and Mimiki were glad that Serenity didn't sense any danger. They tried their best to keep her out of the loop for now. Minutes later, a group of Rare Hunters surrounded them. Tristan stepped in front of the girls to protect them.

"You guys looking for some trouble?!" he asked. "Step off and this won't have to get ugly!"

The Rare Hunters brushed off his words and they were ready to fight, fists and feet ready. Tristan also took a fighting stance. Mimiki and Serenity grew worried, but Odion's words came back to Mimiki and she thought of a plan. Before he lunged at them, Mimiki stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me handle this." she said calmly. Before Tristan could react, she stepped in front of them and gave them an evil eye.

"Hello gentlemen. I'm sure that you all know who I am, right?" she asked sternly as she held up her duel disk. The men focused their attention on her and they finally recognized her. They gasped and took a step back, making Mimiki smirk. _'Well, well...Odion wasn't kidding! I have to milk this to our advantage.'_

"I'm glad to see you all recognize a champion when you see one. I suggest you all better get to stepping now!" she said as she stomped her foot down.

The Rare Hunters ran away and screamed. They didn't want to end up like Seeker. Tristan looked at Mimiki in confusion.

_'How did she scare them off with just mere words? It couldn't be just because she's a girl...they've assaulted her before…I know that she can be tough at times, but still...'_ he thought. Mimiki could feel his eyes drilling into her back.

"Mimiki...how did you do that…?" he asked as she turned to him.

"They're afraid of me because of what I did to that last Rare Hunter. I gave him quite a scare when we dueled. They don't want to duel me." she explained. _'Well it's not a lie, but I can't let them know about Marik and I.'_

"If we stick together, we should be safe."

Tristan accepted her words and nodded. "Oh yeah, I remember that you told us that. Let's hurry and get to the docks!"

Tristan grabbed Serenity's hand and they started to do a light jog to Domino Harbor. Mimiki sighed in relief, but she didn't like withholding the entire truth from them. Later, Tristan opted to carry Serenity on his back to pick up speed to the harbor, leaving Mimiki behind. Tristan ran ahead into a nearby underpass.

"Tristan!" Mimiki yelled. "You know that I can't run fast like you! We're supposed to stick together!"

The burning sensation invaded her feet and ankles again. It made her not want to wear sandals ever again. _'I'm going to kill him!'_

Mimiki rounded the corner into the underpass and stopped in her tracks once she saw that more Rare Hunters blocked their way. Mimiki once again scared this group, but they were unaware that another group was behind them. They both grabbed the girls and Tristan proceeded to fight them, but he was outnumbered 4 to 1.

"Tristan!" the girls yelled.

Mimiki quickly stomped one man's foot and elbowed the hunter that had Serenity. Another Rare Hunter landed a punch to Tristan's face. After he hit the ground, he saw a dice next to him. Duke Devlin, a fellow classmate and the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters, had conveniently appeared and gave them a hand. Once the Rare Hunters were out cold, they all caught their breath.

"Want to fill me in on what's going on?" Duke asked. Mimiki and Tristan panted. "Less talking and more running!" they yelled. The boys grabbed Serenity and ran closer to the harbor, fearing that more Rare Hunters weren't far away. It seemed like the city was infested with them, so the four of them hid in the back of a pickup truck bed. They were grateful for the small break and caught their breath again. The two Domino High students turned to Duke.

"What are you doing here, Duke?" Mimiki asked. "Weren't you in America to promote Dungeon Dice Monsters?"

Duke nodded. "Yeah, you're right, but I had to come home to take care of some business. Then I heard about Battle City and I was hoping to run into you guys. Where's Yugi?" he asked.

"At the docks." Tristan replied. The two boys turned away from the girls so they couldn't hear them. "Who is the other girl, Tristan? She's cute!" Duke asked.

"That's Joey's little sister." he whispered. "She's coming to the finals with us and she's off limits to you!" he whispered. Duke snickered and let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah man, whatever you say. I was just wondering how Joey could have such a lovely sister." Duke quickly changed the subject, his face dictating a serious air.

"We're those men the Rare Hunters I've been hearing about?" he asked loud enough for everyone to hear. Tristan nodded in response. "But why are they chasing you guys?"

"I know that they've been after Yugi and they already assaulted Mimiki and Joey before because of their rare cards."

The bed shifted as Serenity felt her way around. "If they're chasing us, wouldn't they be chasing everyone else too?" she asked, worried about everyone. "Everyone else might be in more trouble than we are!" she pointed out.

Mimiki and Tristan mentally swore. They didn't want her to know what was happening until they saw it for themselves at the docks.

_'Well that cat's out of the bag…'_ Mimiki thought. She sat up to take a peek of their surroundings. "The coast is clear! Let's get moving!"

Everyone nodded and ran off to the harbor. Luckily for them, a friendly face spotted them on the sidewalk and honked their car horn at them, grabbing their attention. Mai pulled over in her blue convertible and waved at them happily.

"Mimiki! Tristan! Hey!"

The group ran up to her. "Hey Mai! You have no idea how happy we are to see you!" Mimiki said. "We need a ride!"

Mai smiled. "No problem! Hop in!"

The car was a coupe, so Mimiki, Tristan and Duke sat in the back while Serenity sat in the front with Mai. Before they pulled off, Mai noticed that everyone looked a bit pensive.

"What's wrong with you guys? You all don't look too happy…" she said. "You didn't lose your spot in the finals, did you Mimiki? Or did Joey or Yugi?"

Mimiki nodded. "No, that's not problem at all. We all qualify for the finals." she replied. "It's the fact that ever since we got to the station, we've been chased by groups of Rare Hunters!"

Mai's eyes widened. "Again?" she asked in shock. "Didn't they come after you before? I thought that you had beat them! Do they want revenge or something?"

"We don't know, but at times, they seemed to be afraid of Mimiki because of her last duel with them." Tristan replied.

"Oh...well in that case, let's get out of here!" she said before merging into traffic.

"I just won my last duel a little while ago. I'll have us at the finals in no time! I'm sure Yugi and Joey will be there."

Tristan and Mimiki nodded in disagreement. "No! We need to go to the harbor! They're there!" Tristan said and Mimiki nodded in agreement.

Mai shot them a look of confusion. "Are you sure because the finals aren't taking place at the harbor."

"No, Mai. They're really at the harbor!" Mimiki stressed.

"Are you guys sure?!" she asked.

The two nodded again. "Yes! I got a call from Yugi earlier! We have to get down there!"

They were currently going in the opposite direction from the harbor. Mai saw a roundabout coming up quickly.

"Okay! Say no more!" she said as she sped up the car. "Hold on tight!" she warned.

Before they could process her words, she whipped the card in the roundabout, making everyone scream and drove straight to the harbor, burning rubber along the way. Mimiki rubbed her head from the whiplash. Thank goodness for seat belts!

_'I'm kicking Marik the first chance I get for putting us through this!'_

_______________________________

At this point, Yugi had convinced Yami to switch places with him, which shot Marik's blood pressure through the roof. He only wanted to duel the pharaoh, not his tiny prepubescent vessel! His hair started to stand up again, but it subsided when he calmed down. In the grand scheme of things, he would win at the end. He'd just kill two birds with one stone. He'd win in about fifteen minutes. The sun was starting to set and he'd take on Kaiba next. He felt like giving them a funeral during sunset was appropriate and generous enough.

He had torn Yugi down with various rare magic cards, leaving the poor boy with only 1000 life points. Marik smiled as he heard Kakayu and Tea calling out to Joey, begging for him to wake up and watching the Kaiba brothers watch in helplessness. This was his perfect plot yet! He laughed at first when Yugi had given Joey the millennium puzzle to jog his memory and to help him break free of Marik's hold, until his power started to waver. Yugi would call out to him, hoping to make him remember his memories that he made with his friends, and the promises that he made. He even summoned Joey's beloved Red Eyes Black Dragon to aid him in his rescue. Much to Marik's chagrin, Joey showed signs of trying to break free at times, but the tomb keeper wouldn't allow it. He tightened his grip on Joey's mind, bringing him back to his side. Yugi's glimmer of hope was gone.

To add to his frustration, Odion reported that the inner city Rare Hunters had failed to capture Yugi's other friends, including Joey's sister. Marik slapped Odion with the rod in anger, his hair standing on point again. Odion quietly took the blow and tried to hide his pain from the impact.

"How could you let them get away?!" he roared. "Go make sure they're captured now!"

"Master Marik, you don't understand…"

Marik turned away from him and turned his attention back to the duel. It was Joey's turn now. Joey drew a card: Meteor of Destruction. Seeing this card lifted his mood. He forced Joey to play the card, but Yugi played a card of his own: Mystical Rift Panel. A fairy with long purple hair and lavender skin held out a giant white mirror that absorbed the meteor. Marik growled again in furry. He didn't need this now. He got a glimpse of Odion and had forgotten that he was there with him. His brother's words played again in his head, making his eye narrow.

"What do you mean that I don't understand? I understand that they're not my hostages!" he roared.

"Miss Mimiki is with them!" he admitted. "They won't go near them if she's with them!" he pointed out. Marik gasped and his hair returned to normal, which Odion was grateful for. "Mimi!"

With those words, they were interrupted by the sound of a horn. Mai and the gang had finally arrived. The boys had jumped out of the car while Mai and Mimiki helped Serenity. Everyone was distracted by their arrival and Kaiba took advantage of the situation.

Marik's eyes widened. "Mimi!" he yelled, but through Joey. Yugi caught his words.

"He called out her name again!" he noted. "What does she mean to him? Does she know Marik?!" he wondered. His thoughts were put on hold when everyone ran up to meet the Kaiba brothers. They all observed the situation in horror.

"Kaiba, what's going on?!" Mimiki asked. Kaiba explained what had transpired in their absence. Then he glanced at Tea and Kakayu. Mimiki's eyes shrank in horror and she ran to them without thinking.

"Kai! Tea!" she yelled. "NO! WAIT!" everyone shouted.

Doing as he was told, the Rare Hunter was about to push the button on his remote to drop the metal crate.

Marik realized what was about to happen and his eyes widened. Mimiki was about to die by his hand—again! "NO! STOP YOU IDIOT! DON'T PRESS THAT BUTTON!" he screamed, but it was too late. The bomb timer started to countdown: in ten seconds, it would explode and the crate would crush the girls. Mimiki scrambled under the crate to free them. Luckily for them, their attention was now turned to Kaiba's helicopter. It flew towards the crane speedily and knocked it over, sending it into the ocean. The bomb had exploded, sending a tower of water over the girls' heads that completely drenched them. Everyone sighed in relief, Marik included. He saw the look on her face when she saw that her curly brown hair was wet and disheveled. It reminded him how she looked when he pulled her into the oasis years ago. She was livid that her hair was ruined and he could see the look on her face now; they practically matched, but this snarl seemed to have more rage behind it. He face palmed himself, shook his head and groaned.

_'She's going to kill me…'_ he thought.

Due to the distraction, Yugi took the opportunity to jog Joey's memory again. Joey saw the scenes unfolding in front of him and broke free. Marik's blood boiled as everyone cheered.

"HOW COULD I LET THAT HAPPEN?! NO!" he screamed. Odion had slipped past him and watched from afar. He couldn't help but hide a smile under his hood. He was happy that Mimiki and her friends weren't harmed, but he didn't think that she'd be this much of a distraction to Marik. It was like they were young teens all over again.

Yugi was happy that the girls were safe, but he couldn't say the same for himself and Joey. He turned to his best friend, happy that he was finally free. He looked at his life point box and the timer—they only had a few minutes left. Yugi shed some tears, the emotions of today hitting him all at once. He wanted to save Joey, even if it meant losing his life. Against Joey's wishes, he ordered his Mystical Rift Panel card to attack him with the previously played Meteor of Destruction, causing him to faint and his life points to hit zero.

"YUGI!" everyone yelled. Serenity was really worried now. She wanted to help her brother, so she started to unravel her bandages.

Joey's life point box opened to reveal his key, but he didn't plan to come out of this alone. Fortunately, the Red Eyes Black Dragon was still on the field and he ordered his monster to attack him, causing his life points to drop to zero. Joey didn't hesitate to help Yugi and with less than thirty seconds on the clock, he dumped the puzzle and his duel disk on the platform and used his chain to leap over to Yugi. Serenity finally unwrapped the last spiral and opened her eyes. When her vision cleared, she stared in amazement at her brother's bravery.

Joey thought that he was going to beat the clock and grab Yug's key, but the bomb exploded, sending everyone into a panic. They rushed over and Tristan tried to reach out to Joey, their fingers missing each other by mere centimeters. Both duelists were dragged into the sea, their bodies no longer visible under the surface. Mokuba ran over to Yugi's box.

"Joey didn't grab Yugi's key!" he shouted. "They're going to drown!" he panicked.

'Not if I have anything to say about it!' Mimiki thought.

She quickly kicked her sandals off, took off her duel disk, grabbed Yugi's key and dived into the water. Everyone jumped at her actions and Kakayu screamed.

"She's crazy! She can't hold her breath that long! They could be really far down now!" she pointed out as she took off her shoes. "I'm going in to get them!" she shouted before jumping in. Tristan wasn't going to let them all drown. He turned to Joey's box and then to Mokuba.

"Mokuba! Did Joey grab his key?!" Mokuba quickly ran over to Joey's box. "It's still here!" he cried. He never would've thought that he'd be in a situation like this. This was turning out to be the worst tournament ever.

Tristan prepared to to take his shoes off. "I'm going in! Give me the key!" he commanded. But before Mokuba could grab it, it was gone. Serenity had grabbed it and she dove into the water with an audible splash.

Underwater, Mimiki swam to Yugi with all of her might. She grabbed him by his hand and climbed her way down to his shackle. She forced herself to open her eyes again in the salty abyss; her eyes stung greatly, but she didn't let that stop her from unlocking his shackle. They were sinking fast and with a hard twist, she unlocked the shackle and pushed Yugi upwards, praying that he'd float to the surface before he drowned. She forced herself to swim over to Joey who was struggling, both losing air with each kick. She tried to unlock his shackle, the key wasn't turning.

_'Oh no! It's a different lock!'_ she panicked. She lost more air and the pressure of the deep water was threatening to render her unconscious as she held on to Joey's leg. She covered her nose and started to panic. Her and Joey were about to die.

On her way down, Kakayu saw Yugi and grabbed him. She took to him to the surface and the young boy was gasping heavily for air. Tristan quickly dived in to help them while Tea and Kaiba helped to fish them out. Kakayu took another deep breath and swam down to help Joey and Mimiki, unaware that Serenity was down there too. Mimiki felt the darkness that was ready to consume her at any second. She dropped Yugi's key and looked up at Joey sadly, who was now unconscious.

_'I'm sorry Joey...I'm so sorry!'_

Before she succumbed to death's vice grip again, she felt a presence near her and that presence grabbed her, pulling her upward. She looked up, but her vision was blurred. She blacked out. Serenity unlocked Joey's shackle and grabbed the both of them, but she couldn't pull them both up with her strength. Kakayu had reached them just in time and helped her carry their cargo together.

On the surface, everyone grew worried since the four of them hadn't resurfaced yet. The sun was setting, painting the sky in a brilliant red-orange. They were starting to lose visibility and they knew that the ocean was growing even darker. Before anyone else could jump in the four of them resurfaced, Kakayu and Serenity gasping while Joey and Mimiki were unresponsive. Kaiba took off his trench coat and dove in to help them, Tristan included. After getting them out of the water, they tried to give the two CPR; Mai to Joey and Tristan to Mimiki. After a few minutes, the two had regained consciousness and everyone cheered. They came out of this unscathed. Mimiki and Joey were confused and everyone had explained what happened. Joey turned to Serenity, Mimiki and Kakayu with a huge smile. He was happy to see that everyone was okay and even more excited to see his baby sister smiling at him with her big brown eyes.

"Serenity! Mims! Kai! You all saved me! Thanks a ton, guys!"

They all smiled bashfully. Then Joey turned to Yugi, whose small frame was shivering from the air. Guilt overwhelmed Joey, but Yugi was smiling as if nothing happened.

"Yugi...I'm so sorry! I can't believe what happened...what I let happened!" he cried.

Yugi felt sorry for his best friend. "It's not your fault, Joey." he said while he placed a hand on his arm.

Joey gave his rebuttal and kicked himself down further, saying that he is a horrible friend, a horrible role model to his sister and a horrible duelist. Mai slapped him quickly, making everyone gasp. Joey winced at the sting, she left a big red mark on his cheek.

"Shut up!" she yelled. "You showed some real courage out there! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!"

Joey looked at everyone and they nodded in agreement. Even Kaiba gave a small nod. Joey broke down in tears, hiding his eyes under his hair.

"Thank you guys…"

Everyone crowded in for a group hug, but was interrupted by a sneeze. Yugi was sniffling and so were the other waterlogged duelists.

"I think it's safe to say that we should go home and recoup for a minute." Yugi said. "We'll meet up for the finals later, okay?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. The finals were that night and there wasn't much time to waste. Kakayu, who was wearing Kaiba's coat for warmth turned to him.

"Kaiba can you call for some escorts to take us home? It'd be much quicker."

Kaiba nodded and called for a couple of his cars to pick them up. After a ten minute wait, two cars had arrived. Kaiba, Kakayu, Mimiki and Mokuba had gotten in the first one, Tea, Serenity, Joey ,Duke and Tristan got in second on. Mai opted to drive her own car and decided to follow them to the game shop. The cars went to their respective addresses, most of the gang going to the game shop.

Back at the hospital, the moonlight covered Bakura's unconscious body. The pale boy was appearing to have a nightmare as he shifted in his sleep. Inside his dream, Marik had appeared on a cloud. The spirit of the ring quickly took over and joined him. The spirit wondered how the young Egyptian got into his mind.

"So did you kill them, Marik?" he asked.

Marik's smile quickly turned into a frown. That plan had been a disaster. "No, but everything is going according to plan."

Yami Bakura wasn't impressed.

"I allowed you to injure myself to gain the trust of those stupid bastards and you didn't deliver?" he asked angrily. "Just hand over the rod now! This is ridiculous!" he complained.

"You'll get the rod when you complete your end of our bargain." Marik retorted. "I want you to get a duel disk and enter the finals to win the god cards for me."

The spirit smirked and crossed his arms.

"You must be a horrible duelist if you're asking me to help you with this task."

Marik brushed off his smugness. "We'll both be in the finals, you idiot. And if you want the rod, you'll do as I say!"

Yami Bakura chuckled. "You must've lost that duel…" he said before turning his back to the platinum blonde. "You spew so much hot air and noise with your imaginary bells and whistles, that I can't hear you anymore."

Marik huffed. "Say what you want, but if you want the rod, I suggest you go get yourself some locator cards!"

With those words, Marik started to disappear. Yami Bakura's eyes widened as he looked at his injured arm. "It was at that time, wasn't it Marik?" he asked. The fading form of the tomb keeper smiled and nodded as he finally disappeared. The spirit huffed and rubbed his hands through his spiky snow white hair.

"I guess that I have an errand to run..."

After a couple of hours and some well needed rest, everyone except Mimiki, Kakayu and the Kaiba brothers were driving in downtown Domino in Mai's convertible. At the game shop, they had used their locator cards to find the site of the Battle City Finals and they were itching for them to start.

"Hurry, Mai!" Joey yelled. "I wanna get there before before money bags does!"

A helicopter flew low overhead. Kaiba was visible from their angle and smirked at them. The helicopter gained speed and rushed off ahead of them. Joey made a face of disgust and the other's laughed.

"Too late for that!" they said.

Joey pouted and Mai sped up and parked her car in a nearby parking lot outside of Kaiba Corp Stadium. On the way there, they ran into an old flame of Mai's; the popular A-list actor Jean Claude Magnum. Joey was excited to meet his favorite movie star, but the excitement died down when Jean Claude had challenged Mai to a duel for her hand in marriage, lost, and tried to abduct her by using a stunt ninja flying on a large kite. He succeeded until Mai flailed about, making the stuntman drop her. She hung for her life from a flagpole until Joey convinced her that he would catch her. Joey clumsily caught her and broke her fall. She was grateful for his actions. 'You're a true hero, Joey.'

After his failed attempt, Mai chewed the movie star out. It was safe to say that she'd never date another movie star again. Soon afterwards, the gang got past that small drama scene and advanced onward. The new stadium that was under construction came into view. After finally finding the entrance and being granted access by some of Kaiba's security guards, they walked down a long dark hall to the brightly lit stadium field. The field was bare and the seating area was dark They questioned the location and wondered why Kaiba would pick such a location for the biggest duel monsters tournament of the year.

Kaiba and Mokuba were in the center of the stadium field, standing with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Mokuba noticed them all first and acknowledged them first.

"Hey everyone! Welcome! You're our first three finalists!" He said, waving. Everyone returned his greeting and looked around, still unimpressed at the lovely scenery. Two guards dressed in black suits and sunglasses, Roland with blue hair and Ben, a brunette, stepped up to them.

"Good evening. May I please see your locator cards?"

Everyone presented their cards and Roland gave them a debit card sized key card with a single digit on it. The back of the card said "BATTLE CITY TOURNAMENT" on it. "Congratulations! These are your official tournament I.D.'s. You're officially Battle City finalists!" Roland said. Everyone was excited to officially be apart of the Battle City Finals. "Security is pretty tight, so make sure that you hang onto these cards at all times, folks."

Everyone looked around.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked, sticking his key card in his back pocket.

"So far, it's only the three of you here, and of course, Mr. Kaiba." Ben replied. "We expect the other six finalists shortly, some sooner than others."

In the stands hiding in the dark, Marik and Odion observed the group from above. He scoffed at them. He had been there even before Kaiba and Mokuba arrived. He glanced at Odion.

"Listen closely," he started. "The time has come to avenge the Ishtar clan. I need your help to put the final part of my plan in motion."

Odion responded with a "hmm" as Marik looked back onto the gang.

"This is it. The Battle City finals are about to begin. All we have to do is win! I must hide my identity. Everyone shall think you are me. As for myself, those idiots believe that I am a friend named "Namu." I already have their trust, so crushing them should be easy!"

Marik handed Odion a replica of the rod and let out a low, cackling laugh as Odion watched. He had a bad feeling that everything wasn't going to go as planned.

"Pardon me for asking Master Marik, but what are you going to do about Miss Mimiki?"

Marik's heart stopped for a moment. The time that he had been waiting for was approaching soon and after all of the hell he'd put her and her friends through, he didn't know how she would react to his sudden appearance, especially since she was knocking on death's door again because of him a few hours earlier. He mentally cursed himself that she put her life in danger for her friends, but he knew she had a heart. He was also sure that Yugi had told her all about him before hand and he remembered his little slip up with Seeker. When he had seen her for the first time, her name had escaped his lips, causing everyone to take notice. He hoped that he didn't cause her even more trouble because of it, but he had a good reason, right? Marik balled his fists and took a deep breath.

"I'll deal with Mimiki when the time comes."

_'I just hope that she doesn't reveal me to the world before I can explain myself to her personally…'_

Odion noticed his body language and nodded. "I wish you nothing but the best with your plans, Master Marik."

_'By the way Miss Mimiki was expressed her disdain...you're going to need all the help you can receive…'_

Marik stood up and slipped his duel disk on his arm.

"I'll be taking my leave now, Odion. Come down a few minutes after me, understand?"

Odion bowed. "Yes, Master Marik." With that, Marik made his way downstairs.

Down below, the wind suddenly picked up and everyone focused their attention at the entrance. Marik's shadowy figure walked into view as he stepped into the light.

He walked in with his trademark smirk, smirking as he thought about the night was going to unfold, but secretly nervous about his reunion with Mimiki.

"Namu! Hey man!" Joey shouted. Tea blushed excitedly and waved. "Hi Namu!" she shouted. Joey and Yugi eyed her carefully. Yugi noticed her behavior and a pang of jealousy stabbed him in his heart.

Marik had quickly forgotten about Tea's unwanted earlier flirtatious advances on him. He mentally rolled his eyes. 'Oh great….this again!' he thought. Marik quickly fixed his facial expression and sported his most charming smile. "Joey! Tea! It's nice to see you two again!" he said in his deceiving voice.

"How's Bakura doing?"

Tea stepped a little closer to Marik than the others. "Bakura is resting at Domino Senai Hospital." Tea replied. "Thanks for asking!" "That's great! I'm glad that I could help him out!"

_'This nice act is starting to irritate the hell out of me…' _Marik thought. _'I just want to get this over with and see Mimi…' _____

"What happened to you Namu?" Joey asked. "We hadn't seen you since those creeps jumped us!"

"They took me to some warehouse at the harbor and tried to steal some of my cards. I managed to escape though. I'm glad that you guys are alright too!" he said with enthusiasm. Tea flashed him a sweet smile again and Yugi wasn't too happy. He cleared his throat.

"Namu?" Yugi asked with a hint of irritation. "Oh yes, I forgot!" Tea exclaimed. "Everyone, Yugi, this is our new friend, Namu. He saved Bakura and helped him after he was injured. Namu, this is Yugi."

Yugi looked over to the young Egyptian and became jealous. The first thing he noticed about Namu was his height and it made him feel short. 'Why is everyone taller than me?!' 

Joey stood closer to Tea and pulled her back a bit.

"Do you really have to flirt hard the new guy in front of everyone, Tea?" he whispered. "People will get mad and jealous!" he hinted. Tea scoffed at him. "I'm alive and single, not dead, Joey!" she whispered back. "Who would get mad and jealous anyway?"

Joey looked over to Yugi. He felt sorry for the boy because he knew about his crush on Tea. It was already bad enough he had to compete with the spirit of the puzzle over her affections, but Yami didn't show any romantic interest.

"Thank you, you all are too kind!" Marik turned to Yugi. "I've heard a lot about you Yugi, it's an honor to meet you." He said extending his arm for a handshake.

Yugi returned the gesture and smiled weakly at him. Everyone else also greeted Namu.

"Thanks for helping Bakura, Namu. Any friend of Joey and Tea's is a friend of mine. Are you here for the finals?"

Marik showed his locator cards to them.

"Yes. I just won my last duel not too long ago." Roland walked up to Marik gave him his room key. Marik thanked Roland and stuffed the card into his right pocket. Marik looked around. Mimiki wasn't there and he was confused. She was with them the whole time until Kaiba's escort came to pick them up from the harbor, so why wasn't she there with them now? He grew frustrated; he needed to know where she was. Ever since he saw her through the eyes of Seeker that day, he couldn't get her out of his mind. The desire to hold her, talk to her and kiss her was too great.

"Wow, you guys sure have a good group of friends here. Is this all of them that you were telling me about?"

"No, we're missing a couple of people besides Bakura." Tea said.

"Oh really? Are they coming to support you all or participate in the finals? If they're as nice as you all, I'd love to meet them too." 'Where the hell is Mimi?!'

"Oh you're talking about Mims and Kai?" Joey asked. If Marik had a pencil, he would've broken it right then and there. Marik had to prevent himself from narrowing his eyes at hearing Joey's nickname for her again. "I don't know where they're at. Anyone talked to them since we were at the harbor?"

Everyone nodded "no" and Joey scratched his head in wonder. "Kai went through a lot today and Mims has been acting weird since that Rare Hunter freaked her out when the tournament started. I hope they're on they're way here soon. It wouldn't be the same without them!"

_'Fuck!'_ Marik cursed inwardly. _'I scared her with that damn Seeker! Ugh! I knew it!'_

Joey turned his attention to Kaiba, who still had his arms crossed.

"Yo Kaiba! Where are Kai and Mims?! Kai was a commissioner, right? Shouldn't she be here too? Maybe Mims is with her! You all did leave in the same car, after all."

Marik growled more every time Joey addressed his Mimi with that name. 'How dare he address her so closely! And what kind of name is "Mims" anyway?! It doesn't suit her at all! He better not be trying to get close to her!' he thought. He wanted to show him a thing or two again with his rod, but he had to keep it hidden.

Kaiba still stood in his stance. "Don't worry about them, Wheeler. They will get here when they get here." he said. "Besides I don't think that Kakayu would like you fawning over her like this, wanting to know her every move. She's not into mutts like you." he said, smirking as Joey took the bait.

"What was that, Kaiba?!" he asked as he balled his fist. "You heard me Wheeler!"

As everyone tried to stop their fight, another person had walked into the stadium, his spiky snow white hair covering his eyes.

"Bakura?!" everyone exclaimed as they quickly met him halfway. Bakura had stumbled a bit into the stadium, his arm injury still evident as he had his bandages wrapped around his arm.

"What the hell are you doing here, man?! You should be in the hospital!" Tristan stressed. His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Why are you wearing a duel disk?" he asked.

Yami Bakura allowed his host to talk, but he still influenced his words. Bakura smiled sweetly at them.

"How else would I get six locator cards and enter the finals?" He asked innocently. He flashed his six locator cards and everyone flipped out over his ability to do so. Marik smirked at the spirit. 'Good...he's keeping up his end of the bargain.'

Things were slowly coming to fruition for him. Minutes later, Odion came into view quickly. His tall, dark presence filled the room as a gust of wind signaled his entrance.

"Whoa who is that? He looks kinda familiar…" Joey asked.

As he walked closer, everyone recognized him. Mokuba pulled on Kaiba's coat. "It's him! It's the guy who kidnapped me and Kakayu, Seto!"

Kaiba's blood pressure shot up to new heights quickly as he eyed the tall Egyptian in anger. Kaiba stood in front of Mokuba.

"State your name!" he demanded.

"I am Marik." he stated coolly. "I should have you disqualified and arrested! But since you have a god card, I'll let this slide," he stated "But I'm watching you!"

"Yeah!" Joey yelled. "I'll mop the floor with you later! You better believe that!"

Everyone glared at Odion, he he was unfazed by it. He's been through worse.

"Can I have your attention please!" Roland shouted. "Most of you are here, but this isn't the location of the Battle City finals. The actual arena should be here real soon."

"What?" everyone asked in confusion.

Suddenly, the wind picked up at a huge shadow darkened the area. A huge blimp that donned Kaiba Corp's logo flew slowly over them and then descended as everyone stared in awe.

"We're dueling in the sky?" Yugi asked as Mokuba smiled. "Yep! 4000 feet to be exact!" the younger Kaiba stated excitedly. The blimp finally landed in front of them and its engines powered down a bit. "It's time to board to start the Battle City Finals!" Mokuba said.

Everyone was still in shock and awe at the thought of dueling on a blimp, but Kaiba wanted to get this over with. He had god cards to win. "We're leaving now." he declared.

Yugi looked back and didn't see Mimiki or Kakayu. "But what about Mimiki and Kakayu? Shouldn't we wait for them?" Yugi asked.

Kaiba glared at him. "Didn't I tell you idiots to stop worrying about them?! They're fine!"

"How do you know that, Kaiba?!" Joey asked, still steamed from their fight from earlier.

"Because they're right there, you dog!" he stated as he pointed to the blimp entrance. Everyone directed their eyes there as the door unfolded open to reveal Mimiki and Kakayu smiling at them as they walked down the stairs. "Hey, guys!" they said.

"Mimiki! Kakayu!" Yugi exclaimed as he walked up to them at the base of the blimp entrance. "We were wondering when you two were coming. I was worried about you guys. Are you okay? From earlier, I mean."

The two smiled back at the the sweet Yugi. "Yes, we're okay. We went to my place got ready for the finals. Kaiba had a car pick us up and it brought us to the blimp. Kai and I just wanted a little girl time before the finals started."

Kakayu nodded. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well, Yugi. Thanks for asking." Kakayu said.

Yugi nodded and smiled. "That's good to hear. Thank you." he replied.

"Kaiba allowed Kai and I to have a whack at how we'll be dueling tonight. Tonight is going to be so much fun!" Mimiki said.

"Yeah! I'm itching to start the finals!" Joey exclaimed. He glared at Kaiba. "I hope that I'll whup Kaiba's ass first!"

Kaiba smirked "You're not even my league, Wheeler." Again as always, Joey took the bait. "Seriously Kaiba, again?! I'll kick your ass up and down this blimp that you'll—"

While everyone minus Marik and Odion tried to stop another feud, Mimiki looked away for a bit to see if Marik was there. She was getting more nervous by the second and didn't know how to handle their reunion now after everything that had transpired so far. She knew that she had agreed to help Ishizu and Odion to stop his plans and bring him to reason, but she didn't know if her words would be enough to convince him to quit, especially after seeing that last dueling stunt he pulled. He was her best friend and she cared for him deeply and the thought of him being as heartless as Ishizu had described broke her heart. One half of her wanted to wring his neck and the other half just wanted to hug him and talk everything out. She felt torn between the Ishtars and her friends. What would they think if they found out?

She sighed deeply turned away from the group. She looked up and locked eyes with him. She felt like he took her breath away; like time had stopped. She blushed a bit and her heart was beating at a million miles a minute, and his, the same. _Calm down, Mimiki! Don't crack now! Not in front of everyone!'_

She was so close, yet so far away. She was finally in his reach after all of these years. What would he say to her? What would she say to him? Would she rat him out immediately or give him a chance to explain himself? Would she hate him or love him? They were both frozen in their wave of emotions. Mimiki was snapped out of her trance by Kakayu.

"Mimi? Are you okay? You look a little pale yet flushed…" Kakayu observed. "Was the dueling altitude too strenuous for you? Are you still tired from earlier?"

"N-n-no. I'm okay, just a little...overwhelmed...uh...about today and tonight's festivities. Today was such a long...day and... I'm just going to lay down for a minute. Do you mind?" she managed to say.

"Sure! I'll walk you there if you want."

"No, it's okay." she declined. "I'll be fine, really. What room is it again?"

Kakayu handed her tournament ID room key. "Room 8. Are you sure you're okay?" Mimiki nodded in assurance. "Yeah...I'll see you all later."

Mimiki walked back into the blimp as everyone followed behind minutes later. Inside, everyone went to the room which held her tournament ID number on the keypad. Kaiba had room 1, Joey had room 2, Yugi had room 3, Mai room 4, Marik room 5, Bakura room 6, Kakayu room 7, Odion room 9 and the final duelist had room 10.

Everyone was in awe at the boarding accommodations. Kaiba had placed a fully stocked mini fridge with various drinks and snacks inside every room along with a small table with two chairs, three windows with a couch fashioned under them all, a twin extra long sized bed and a small bathroom. The beds were fairly comfortable with down feather pillows and a duvet, and 400 thread count sheets. The rooms also had adjustable studio lighting, a 39" TV in the wall and a vanity. To top it all off, each room had its own personal thermostat module.

Mimiki walked into her room. She quickly ran for the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and quickly downed it. She placed her hand against her chest to find her heart was still beating hard, but had calmed down a bit. She took off her flats and duel disk, sat it on the table and made a beeline to the bed, seeking refuge in its soft, inviting covers. She had about 2 hours before dinner was to be served, so a quick nap was definitely in order. She set an alarm on her cell phone and used a touch screen remote in the bedside cubby to dim the lights and closed her eyes. Chatter could still be heard in the hallway as everyone found their rooms and settled in. It died down quickly and Mimiki was thankful for the peace, knowing that there wouldn't be any once the finals started and when she'd eventually have to face Marik. As she got comfortable and to drifted off to sleep. An hour later, there was a knock on her door. She stirred awake, a little disoriented from the deep sleep. She heard the soft knock again and looked up at the door angrily. She unwillingly walked slowly to the door, her footsteps clumsy as she tried to fully wake up. She growled. There was only one person that would interrupt her sleep.

"Is that you, Kai?" she asked in an annoyed tone. "You know that I don't feel good! I was trying to take a nap! Why do you always do this to me?!" she complained.

Mimiki pushed the "open" button. The door slid open to reveal Marik. She jumped back slightly and gasped worryingly. She was fully awake now.

_'Shit! I totally should've seen this coming! This is too soon!' _she cursed. Her heart started beating heavily again. Now they were a few inches apart. The heat of his body and his musky, exotic scent overwhelmed her senses.__

She still carried the scent of that same lotus perfume that he remembered. His feral lavender eyes met with her turbulent blue ones as she stepped back and he walked inside as the door closed behind him and locked itself. The silence grew between them, both of the them unsure who should break the ice or what to say next. This wasn't what they thought their reunion would be like. Marik was happy that she hadn't tried to kill him yet, but she didn't embrace him either and it made him nervous. Marik cleared his throat.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Mimi?"

Mimiki swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes...it's been a long time…Marik."

Mimiki eyed him up and down. He had definitely grown taller as he towered over her, at least four inches. His hair was longer and a little wilder and he was built nicely. His arms were strong and firm. His black shirt and lavender hoodie complimented his abdomen muscles. She started to blush and tried to hide it. She covered her mouth with her hand, cursing inwardly at her dirty thoughts. Mimiki was angry at the thought of losing control; she had never felt this way before.

"What's wrong, Mimi? I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

She looked away from his gaze. He continued to gaze upon her, taking in her image. He finally had the chance to see her up close instead of through the eyes of his Rare Hunters. Her long hair and legs stood out to him again like they did years ago, but now her hips had widened noticeably and so did her chest a bit. She was like a beautiful, delicate goddess that he had been searching for and now he had her to himself for the moment. Marik wanted to make the best of the time they had together before the finals started. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked down to the floor.

"Mimi, are you okay? Please talk to me."

Mimiki slowly looked up into his eyes. His soft voice and gaze overwhelmed her. She didn't see the murderous, hellbent man that everyone had been fighting against. Where was the evil man that everyone was talking about? The man whose neck she wanted to wring with the intensity of a thousand suns for the hell he'd put her and her friends through? She felt her pent up rage towards him shatter into a million pieces. Marik eyed her for a minute. He could've sworn he saw her shake.

"Mimi? Are you okay?" he asked again.

They were in silence for a moment longer until she lunged at him, capturing him in a tight hug, catching him off guard. Sniffling could be heard as he returned the hug.

"M-marik...I missed you so much! I missed you so much!" she said between sobs. He ran his fingers through her curly hair, his other arm wrapped around her waist as held her closer and took in her scent. They both relaxed into the hug and closed their eyes; it was like a dream and for the first time in forever, he felt peace.

"I've missed you too, Mimi...more than you know..."


	6. Predestined Reunion Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you renwenmahariel for your support! :)
> 
> Please note:  
>  _'text'_ \- thoughts  
>  _"text"_ \- talking via mind link

Marik slid his key card in the card reader and entered his room. He was impressed with the room accommodations. He walked to the window and looked at the city skyline. The lights seemed to ensnare him into a trance. He was lost in his thoughts; he'd never seen a city skyline from above. Memories of living underground for most of his life resurfaced and made his heart fill with resentment and anger. He would've enjoyed a life filled with many opportunities like this if it wasn't for the pharaoh. He stared angrily out the window. His time to avenge himself and his family. That wasn't the only thing on his mind.

He pulled out the picture of them from her birthday party from his pocket. His heartbeat started to rise when he looked to his bedroom door. The love of his life was across the hall; the closest he had been to her in years. His mind trailed back to his conversation with Odion minutes earlier. How would he handle their predestined reunion after all that had transpired? He knew that she had a hot temper when provoked, and after all of the pain he'd put her and her friends through, he didn't know what to expect from her.

_'Would she hate me?'_ he thought.

His heart felt heavy as he thought about that possibility. He loved her and he wasn't completely sure of her feelings for him. He knew that she liked him to a degree, but he never heard her response after he declared his love for her. Marik started to breathe heavily. When they locked eyes before boarding the blimp, he saw the look of shock on her face.

_'She didn't say a word...then she looked as if she was sick...I know that we'll have to talk soon, but how? What would I say? What will she say?'_ he thought.

Overactive nerves made Marik parched, so he poured himself a glass of water. After drinking the entire glass, he poured himself another glass and chilled out on the bed for a while. As he got comfortable, his mind raced on how he would approach Mimiki. He yawned before taking another sip of water. He was starting to feel a little relaxed in the luxury bed. Not even his bed on his yacht was this comfortable. Marik quickly succumbed to sleep.

Fifty minutes later, he jumped up and took in his surroundings. He stretched and let out another yawn. Although he didn't think much of what he wanted to say to her, he decided that he had to see her now. Marik quickly freshened himself up and walked to her room. Loud voices and music could be heard from the other rooms, so he was grateful that Yugi and the others wouldn't notice his movements. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't sure exactly which room was Mimiki's. He didn't want to knock on each door and give himself away. While he was lost in his thinking, Roland appeared around the corner with Ben.

"Can we help you with something, sir?" Ben asked, shaking Marik out of his thinking.

Marik looked around to make sure that no one else was around.

"Yes, yes you can." he replied. "Can you tell me which room Mimiki Minami is in? I need to speak with her."

"Oh yes, of course." Roland replied. They motioned their hands to her door. "Miss Minami is staying in Room 8, sir. Would you be requiring anything else before we leave?" Roland asked.

Marik shook his head. "Thank you, but that'll be all."

The two guards nodded. "You're welcome. Please remember that dinner will be served in our dining area in one hour."

Marik replied with a smile of thanks and the two men went on their way. After they disappeared around the corner, Marik stepped in front of Mimiki's room. He didn't hear anything on the other side of her door. He took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door, hoping that she was in the room. After a minute of waiting and no reply, Marik knocked again, getting more anxious with each second passing. He heard a little shuffling in the room.

"Is that you, Kai?" he hear her ask in an annoyed tone. "You know that I don't feel good! I was trying to take a nap! Why do you always do this to me?!" she complained.

Marik chuckled lowly. He remembered that she loved to take naps and didn't like being bothered when she was taking them. The door opened into reveal a sleepy, irritated Mimiki. Her hair was a little disheveled and a portion of it hung over her chest. She jumped back slightly and gasped worryingly, her being fully awake was now obvious.

Now they were a few inches apart, the sight of her overwhelmed him. The nostalgic scent of her lotus perfume entered his nose and made him relax. His feral lavender eyes met with her turbulent blue ones as she stepped back and he walked inside as the door closed behind him and locked itself. The silence grew between them, and he was unsure of what he would say.

'This wasn't the reunion that I had hoped for…everything is tense...' he thought. Marik was grateful that she hadn't tried to kill him yet, but she didn't embrace him either and it made him nervous. He felt like it was almost like she was afraid. After a minute, Marik cleared his throat. He couldn't let this go on any longer.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Mimi?"

Mimiki swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes...it's been a long time…Marik."

Hearing her sweet voice made him smile. Seconds later, he noticed that she was blushing and covered her mouth with her slender hand, her brows furrowing, which concerned him. His eyes stayed focused on her.

"What's wrong, Mimi? I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?"

She didn't answer and looked away from his gaze. She was more beautiful in person than when he saw her through his Rare Hunter's eyes. He towered over her more than he did before. Her hair had grown longer, down to the small of her back. Her eyes were big and feminine, and she was curvier than before. She was like a beautiful, delicate goddess that he had spent an eternity searching for. Finally, he now had his treasure to himself for the moment. Marik wanted to make the best of the time they had together before the finals started, before everything would get crazy. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked down to the floor. He felt a pang of hurt when she looked away.

"Mimi, are you okay? Please talk to me."

Mimiki slowly looked up into his eyes. He was happy to look into her eyes again, but he could tell that something was wrong. Marik continued to eye her for a minute. He could've sworn he saw her shake.

"Mimi? Are you okay?" he asked again with concern.

They were in silence for a moment longer until she lunged at him, capturing him in a tight hug, that caught him off guard. Sniffling could be heard as he returned her hug.

"M-marik...I missed you so much! I missed you so much!" she said between sobs. He ran his fingers through her curly hair, his other arm wrapped around her waist as held her closer and took in her scent again. They both relaxed into the hug and closed their eyes; it was like a dream and for the first time in forever, he felt peace.

"I've missed you too, Mimi...more than you know..."

The two stayed in their embrace for what seemed like an eternity. They still couldn't believe that they were in each other's arms after all of those empty years. It all seemed like a dream. Mimiki broke the hug and sat down next to the window and placed her hand on her thigh, staring out into the horizon of Domino City. Marik slowly joined her and looked out the window as well, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He blushed at how the dimmed lighting accented her tan skin, almost as if she had a light glow. Commotion from the other rooms could be faintly heard and the city lights mixed in with the dim lights turned the room into a small, intimate setting. She hadn't said a word in over ten minutes; the city lights keeping her under their spell.

The shade of red still graced Marik's cheeks. He didn't know what to do next, but he found his hand connecting with her small one that laid on her thigh. She jumped a bit and looked at him in worry. He had the same warm smile that she loved and remembered, his eyes held a tender gentleness that made her feel weak. Where was the evil, heartless Marik that everyone was talking about? Was she not digging deep enough to see it? Was she blind to it because of her feelings for him? As far as she could see, he appeared to be the same precious friend she had to leave behind. Her worry and confusion was evident and Marik quickly picked up on her emotions.

"Mimi, what's wrong? I know that we haven't seen each other in years, but you know that you don't have to be shy around me." he assured her. "It's just me and you...like we used to be."

Mimiki was still silent. She blushed at the touch of his warm hand. They sat in silence a little while longer as he continued to caress her hand with a smile on his face. "Come here, sit with me." he said softly.

He gently pulled her right next to him and cuddled her with his free arm resting on her hip. His calm breathing and strong frame ushered a wave of protection over her as she rested in his embrace for a while. She felt like putty in his arms. They hugged each other in the past, but they never were this intimate with each other. It felt natural...it felt right. Mimiki blushed harder when he placed a gentle kiss on her hand, then felt his lips graze her ear.

"God, I missed you so much Mimi…" his husky voice whispered in her ear.

_'Why does he have such an effect on me?!'_

Mimiki found herself caught in his gaze again. Once again their scents began to overwhelm them both and the tension was rising between them. The temperature felt like it was rising quickly and they were caught in a tangled web of desire. He traced a finger over her lips as he moved in closer, both of them slowly closing their eyes. This all felt like a dream.

The moment he'd been waiting for three and a half years was finally coming into play: he could finally kiss and be with the woman he loved. He had her all to himself and nothing would stop him from having her. Their lips were an inch apart until Mimiki pulled away from him and stood up, her back facing him while she wrapped her arms around herself. Her spiky chocolate brown bangs covered her eyes. She didn't want him to look into her eyes. Marik was taken aback by her actions. Did she not feel the same way anymore? Did he go too far too soon? He could've sworn that they were feeling the same vibe. The look of raw hunger he saw in her eyes mirrored the same his did; it was unmistakable.

"Now that this is over…" she said in a low voice. Marik stood up and reached for her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Mimi? What did you say? I didn't hear—"

Before he could touch her, she quickly turned to face him and punched him directly in his abdomen and then kicked him, catching him off guard. He landed on the couch against the wall with a hard thud, sucking in air quickly. Before he could comprehend what had happened, their eyes met, and he was met with the most murderous look he'd ever seen from her. One eye was covered by her bangs and she had her fists balled up. The sudden chill in the air made his spine shiver.

"...How dare you!" she growled. "How dare you try to hurt my friends and family! Especially using an illusion of me to lure Yugi into a deathtrap! And what was up with that crazy duel at the harbor today?! People could've died...myself included! Twice I might add!" she stressed.

Marik's eyes had widened in horror. Sure they had roughhoused with each other years ago, but she never pulled moves on him like that since he was always physically stronger than her. He usually predicted her moves, but he was so deep into their intimate moment that he forgotten that she could've tried to do something like this. He coughed a bit and rubbed his stomach. He couldn't blame no one but himself because he knew that what she said was the truth. His heart hurt when he noticed that she started shaking and looked as if she wanted to cry again.

"Do you know what you've put me through in the last two days?!" she yelled. "All this worrying...and heartache...what the hell is wrong with you?! I ought to—"

Marik quickly jumped up and covered her mouth with his hand and embraced her before he could yell again. For a second, his eyes had blanked out and his hair had spiked up again, but he returned back to normal once he had a wiff of her perfume again. His temporary transformation went unnoticed by Mimiki. He looked towards the door as she struggled to argue with him. He sighed in relief that no one had heard her outburst. He looked down at her, her angry eyes boring into him.

"You're still loud like I remember, you know that?" he said. Mimiki got angry again and rolled her eyes. _'Whatever!'_ she thought.

When it appeared that she would quiet down, he released his hold on her. A mixed look of frustration, anger and sadness graced her face.

"Marik, why are you doing this?" Marik's kind look stiffened. He wasn't ready to have this conversation with her, no matter how many times he practiced in his head. "Doing what, Mimi?"

"Don't play dumb with me Marik! Why are you trying to hurt Yugi and my friends, my cousin too? What did they do to you? You've never been outside of Egypt until now, so you've never met them. You shouldn't have a reason to try to hurt them so, why? I know that you're not a bad person so please tell me why Marik. I want to understand why you're doing this...I need to understand!" she pleaded in a melancholy voice.

Marik's face stiffened again. "Your cousin...?" he asked, confused. Mimiki nodded. "Um hmm! That other girl you had tied up at the harbor with a steel crate dangling above her head with Tea, which I risked my ass to save the both of them—" she said sarcastically. "That's my cousin!"

Marik felt that blow to his ego. She could tell that he regretted that decision.

"It's hard to explain, Mimi…" he said as he directed his attention outside the window. His choice words didn't settle with Mimiki at all. She felt like she was about to blow up again, with her next target being his neck. She angrily stomped her foot down.

"What's so hard to explain, Marik?!" she asked louder than she meant to ask. He quickly jumped up quieted her by placing a finger over her lips as he looked towards the door again. Luckily no one heard her second outburst and came running to the door. He sighed in relief again. His identity was inches away from being blown. _'I have to explain myself so she'll understand!'_

"Please keep your voice down, Mimi! Right now, your friends think that Odion is me and that my name is Namu! Please let me explain before you—!"

"What the hell?!" she screamed. "When did Odion get here? Why is he posing as you and what the hell kind of name is Namu? What's going—"

Marik quickly silenced her with both of his hands instead before she could keep talking, but of course that didn't stop her from trying to talk as her mouth was covered. He inwardly cursed her loud voice, but he couldn't help but smirk at seeing how much she hadn't changed.

He uncovered her mouth and made sure she wasn't going to scream again. "I'm listening." she said sharply.

"I'm sorry that you've been caught up in this...and your cousin and friends too. I didn't know that they were your friends until I saw you on the first day of the tournament." he admitted. "But the pharaoh has done something that I can't forgive, Mimiki. He's sinned against my family!"

Mimiki didn't believe him. Yami was always kind and looked out for his friends. She also noticed that he called her by her full name, which he never did unless he was being serious. _'I have to find his reasoning, then I have to make him listen to mine.'_

"What could he have possibly done for you to try to kill him?! And poor Yugi too? He's just the vessel for the pharaoh. He's courageous and strong! He's really looked out for me during Battle City."

Marik grew angry as she praised Yami. "Mimiki, you don't understand! He—"

Suddenly the two were interrupted by a heavy knock on the door. "Yo Mims! You up?" Joey yelled. "It's time to get up and get some grub!" Joey shouted. Marik's eyes turned into slits upon hearing her nickname again.

"Okay! Thanks Joey! I'll join you all soon!" She turned to Marik and saw his expression. She had never seen him like that before and Ishizu's advice rang through her ears.

"Marik, what's wrong?"

"Does he really have to address you by that name?!"

"What? "Mims?" He's always called me that."

"I don't like it!" he said sharply. "In fact, I hate it! It doesn't suit you. "Mimi" is a lot better!"

Anger then turned to sadness with a tablespoon of jealousy. "Are you two really that close?"

Mimiki's laughter caught him off guard. Marik felt offended. How could she laugh at him when he opened his heart for her, especially when she knew that he loved her?

"I'm sorry, but are you jealous, Marik?"

"Jealous of that boy?! You've got to be kidding me!" he said, trying to hide his hurt feelings.

Mimiki could tell that he was hurt by her laughing. Before she could answer him, another knock was heard. "Mimi? Are you up?" Kakayu asked. They both gasped and Mimiki panicked. She didn't want this to blow up before she knew everything. Her eyes darted around the room until they hit the bathroom. She turned to Marik. "Shh!" she whispered. She guided him to the bathroom and pushed him inside. "Don't say a word until I come back!" she commanded in a low voice before looking at the bedroom door. "Hold on, Kai!" she replied before turning back to Marik, who looked a little worried.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this." she said. She quickly wet her hands in the sink, dried them off, and sealed Marik in the bathroom. She calmed down and opened the door.

"Hey, sorry about the wait. I was in the bathroom. Is it time to eat yet?"

Kakayu stepped in the room and nodded. "Bingo!" she replied. "Are you feeling better now?"

Mimiki smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Yeah, that nap hit the spot!"

Kakayu smiled back. "Okay! Cool beans!" she replied. "Don't wait too long! Joey and Tristan might eat us out of a house and a home if you don't hurry."

Mimiki chuckled. "Okay. I'll be down in a minute."

"Cool. I gotta help Kaiba with something real quick. See ya!"

Kakayu hurried down the hall and disappeared around the corner. Mimiki closed the door and sighed in relief. She opened the bathroom door and gave Marik the all clear. Marik smirked at her, tapping his foot while he crossed his arms. "What?" Mimiki asked.

"Hiding men in your bathroom, Ms. Minami? I'm shocked, you naughty girl!" he teased as he moved some hair away from her face. Mimiki blushed and lightly slapped his hand away. Marik laughed and she glared at him.

"Shut up!" she replied in embarrassment. "Kakayu's my cousin, remember? She knows all about you and what you look like! You've been all I've talked about since I moved back home. I don't need her knowing that I'm practically sleeping with the enemy!" she retorted.

Marik gave her a devilish grin with half lidded eyes.

"Sleeping with the enemy? That doesn't sound half bad…" he said as he grabbed her by the waist. He pinned her against the wall and leaned in closer to her face. Much to her surprise, Marik grabbed her left leg and held it up by his hip. Mimiki's eyes were a big as dinner plates and her face was a nice shade of fire engine red. She had never been in a situation like this before and didn't think that Marik was capable of knowing such moves to pull on her. _'Me and my big mouth!'_

"Now give me some lovin, baby!" he said in a teasing voice. Mimiki scoffed and pushed him away. "Step off, you perv! Where the hell did you learn how to do that, anyways?!"

Marik chuckled again; he got her good. _'Mimi would laugh if she knew that I read that in one of Ishizu's romance novels when she wasn't around…',_ he thought. _'Mimi's girly anime and manga that she subjected me to didn't help didn't much either.'_

He kept his thoughts to himself and his laughing made Mimiki worry, but she still was fuming at his stunt.

"Why aren't you taking this seriously?! Kakayu knows what you look like! We're dead!"

Marik wagged his finger. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mimi. I'm hurt that you don't think that I take precautions, Mimi. I'm not worried about your cousin."

"...What are you talking about?" Her eyes widened. "Did you alter her memories with your millennium item?!" she screamed.

"Shh! Don't kill me, please! I had to! She thinks that Odion is me now! No worries, right?"

Mimiki glared at him. He was right. "I don't condone what you've done, but I'm going to let it slide this time in order not to cause a panic!" she said in a serious tone. They knew that they didn't have much time before someone would come looking for them.

"Mimi..." he called. He covered her slender hands with his big ones. He looked gently into her eyes again and smiled gently.

"I promise, I'll tell you everything soon, when the time is right. Please keep this between us...and trust me. Everything will be clear soon."

Mimiki was still unsure of his request, but she decided to go along with it until things spiraled out of control. She had already been sworn to secrecy by Ishizu, so she figured that waiting a little longer wouldn't hurt. _'Speaking of Ishizu, WHERE is she?' Mimiki thought. 'She said that we'd keep in touch, but I haven't seen or heard from her since I went to the museum...and it's too late to call the museum. I'll have to consult Odion instead when I'm out of Marik's sight.'_

"Do you promise?" He nodded and replied "Yes, I promise you that."

"Okay...I trust you." Marik then kissed her hands, pulled her into another hug and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. For some odd reason, her head had started to hurt a little after he kissed it.

"Thank you Mimi. Now let's go eat." he said giving her another loving gaze. Mimiki looked into his eyes and gasped. She saw a figure that looked just like him with an evil glare. He looked like the evil version of Marik she had seen in her dream that morning.

"Ahh!" she screamed as she jumped back in fear. Luckily for her, Marik caught her before she hit the floor. Her eyes were filled with horror and she started hyperventilating.  
"Mimiki!" he yelled. "Are you okay?! What's wrong?!"

He helped to calm her breathing and she settled down. _'Why did I have that vision from my nightmare?!'_ she thought as she looked at her best friend. _'Marik is not evil like that! I know it...right?'_

He helped her regain her footing. "I'm okay. Just a leg spasm." she lied. "I had been running all day in sandals. It's not good for your feet, but you know that we girls love our cute shoes!"

Marik wasn't convinced. She hadn't acted like that around him since the day they met when the pharaoh killed his father. "Hmm…" he contemplated. He watched her as she went into the bathroom and freshened up before getting her shoes, key card, a jacket and her duel disk. "Ready to eat?" she asked sweetly.

"Are you sure that you're okay?" he asked. Mimiki silenced his concern with a soft kiss on his cheek, close to his lips. His cheek felt like it was on fire, just like it did when she kissed him for the first time right before her birthday. He desired to take her and caress her passionately right then and there, but he knew that they wasted too much time already. He knew that if he did that, they'd be in her room way too long and that everyone would start to get suspicious.

_'I'll kiss her after the first duel or two.'_

"Let's go. You go first." he said. "I'll come down in a few minutes."

Mimiki nodded. "Okay. Don't wait too long." she said. "And when we're watching the duels," she said with an evil glare, "no funny business!"

Marik pondered her words for a moment and laughed again, which made Mimiki set her eyes on his neck for the millionth time that night.

"You know that I'd never force you to do anything that you weren't comfortable with." he replied. "I just wanted to get you riled up for old times sake. Glad to see you haven't changed that much. You're so cute when you're angry." he said with a smile.

Mimiki rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Whatever, Ishtar." She playfully smacked him in his head. "I'm leaving."

She exited the room and headed to the dining hall. A few minutes later, he made sure that no one else was in the hall before leaving her room. On her way to dinner, Mimiki prayed that nothing bad would happen that night.

__________________________

Marik finally reached the dining hall. Two huge tables were filled with various plates of food: fried rice, various meats and seafood prepared differently, grilled vegetables, breads, drinks and dessert cakes. By the time he got there, Joey was on his second helping. The Egyptian decided to serve himself quickly before Joey ate all of the food. Their late appearance didn't go unnoticed, especially by Yugi and Bakura. Mimiki had already fixed her plate and joined the other girls at a separate table. Marik was invited to eat with the guys and he didn't want to, but he had to blend in for the sake of his plan. He much rather have been with his dear Mimi instead. After taking a drink of water, Yami and Yugi focused their attention on Mimiki.

_"I see that she came late. I hope that she's feeling better."_ Yugi said.

_"Yes. Her and Namu both arrived late."_ he noted.

_"Yeah…"_ Yugi replied. _"I wanted to ask her about Marik, but she wasn't feeling well earlier...he's uttered her name a few times through his mind slaves...even through Joey…"_

Yami glanced at Mimiki, who was eating and laughing away with the girls, then to Odion, who was standing off in the corner against the wall, propping himself up with his foot. He had his head down with his hood covering it. The two were confused. How could a girl like Mimiki be involved with a man like Marik?

_"I don't see how they could be romantically involved with each other. They're way too different. She's feminine, small and can pack a punch and he's tall, bulky and has a very evil disposition..."_ Yugi said. Yami gave him a weird look.

_"I don't know, Yugi. Can you honestly say that? It's not too different from you and Tea...except for the evil part, that is."_

Yugi turned into a tomato and glared at him. _"Do you have to bring that up?!"_

Yami chuckled. _"I'm sorry, Yugi. I couldn't help myself."_

Yugi pouted and looked away from the pharaoh. _"I can't believe you, sometimes!"_

While eating, Marik would take a quick glance at Mimiki from time to time. She didn't notice that he was looking at her.

"So how are you guys liking the arrangements so far?" Kakayu asked.

Mai took another sip of her red wine.

"Hun, this food is delicious! And this wine! I love it!"

The younger girls chuckled at Mai. "I agree with Mai." Serenity replied. "It's delicious, especially the grilled shrimp!"

"Yeah and the karaage was good too! And just look at these cute mini desserts! This mini cheesecake is so cute; it's my favorite! It's almost a shame to eat it!" Mimiki said before taking a bite. She smiled in euphoria as the taste of the strawberry cheesecake intoxicated her.

"Mai's wine looks good, but I'm happy that we got to have mocktails instead. It's like we're adults!" Tea replied.

"And I have to add that the bedrooms are absolutely divine! A girl could get used to this type of luxury!" Mai said. Everyone happily agreed.

"I'm glad that you all like everything. Kaiba let me come up with the menu…" she said with a quick blush. It didn't go unnoticed by the rest of them. Mimiki grinned wryly and leaned next to Kakayu.

"He let you pick out the food? You didn't tell me that! Sounds like you guys are playing the role of 'engaged couple', huh? Has he let you pick out the glass china too?" she whispered.

Kakayu turned red and her eyes widened. "Shut up, Mimi!" she growled.

Mimiki tried to keep her laughing down and the rest of the girls except Serenity, could figure out what they were whispering about. They couldn't help but give a chuckle of their own. A small smile graced Marik's face when he saw her laughing. After she calmed down, she looked up and caught her lover giving her a quick smile, which she returned as discreetly as possible before returning to the rest of their girl talk.

Yugi and Yami noticed their exchange.

_"Look, Yugi. Namu is smiling at Mimiki...and she's smiling back."_

_"Maybe she's smiling back to be nice. He is one of the finalists, after all."_

_"Maybe…"_

Yami sat in silence. He saw the look in Namu's eyes from his peripheral vision; he swore he saw a hint of love behind it, which puzzled him. How could he do that and they barely know each other? The spirit was growing more anxious about the upcoming duels, Marik and his next plans and the thought that Mimiki was somehow in the middle of those plans. He wanted to know more so he could stop Marik as soon as possible. He glanced back at Odion again, who was still in the back of the room propped up against the wall. He hadn't moved an inch. It was like he was a ninja waiting for his next move. The link between him and Mimiki just didn't make sense to him, despite the joke he pulled on Yugi earlier. His thoughts were interrupted by everyone leaving the table to stash their dirty dishes in nearby bins. Tristan and Joey had enough plates to fill up one bin alone. Soon one of Kaiba's security team members gathered at the front of the room and everyone followed along.

"Attention everyone!" Roland had shouted. "I hope that you've enjoyed tonight's cuisine from Kaiba Corp's talented chefs. Now it is time to announce the first set of duelists for the first round of the Battle City Finals."

A lottery machine shaped like a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon appeared on a stage in the front of the room.

"To guarantee fairness, each duelist will be selected at random by lottery according to your room key number. Each ball is of equal size and weight. The second set won't be selected until after the first round. Does everyone remember their number? Let's start."

Everyone watched as the balls were tossed around in anticipation. After a few seconds, one ball fell into the tray. "The first duelist is number 6, Ryou Bakura!"

Everyone looked around at Bakura acting humbly about being able to duel first. Marik smiled evilly and Mimiki caught him, shooting an evil look. When he noticed her stare, he smiled back at her and winked.

_"You said that you'd trust me, Mimi."_

Mimiki's eyes widened and she looked up to him.

_"What the hell?! Are you in my mind, Marik?!"_

_"Would you rather me be somewhere else? Because I know somewhere else I could be...hehehe!"_

Mimiki covered her flushed face with her hands and growled mentally. _"Marik, I going to kill you, I swear! This is so weird!"_ she admitted.

_"Aww, you wouldn't do that!"_ he teased. _"Don't worry, you'll get used to speaking via mind link. Now you can talk to me whenever you like. I can keep the suspicious eyes off of us this way. Just play along and trust me."_

_"Fine...if you say so...but no reading my mind without me knowing! And stop hitting on me like that!"_

_"Like how?"_ he asked innocently.

_"Gah! You know what I'm talking about...you...you...dirty boy!"_

Marik looked down at her and she could feel his eyes on her head, so she looked up at him. His laugh could be heard through her mind. She growled again. He riled her up again with little to no effort, just like he did in Egypt. But this time, he had more ammo.

_"Stop teasing me, Marik!"_

_"As you wish, my princess."_

Marik shut off the mind link. Seconds later, everyone was waiting in anticipation for the second duelist to be chosen. Another ball fell into the second tray. "And number 8, Mimiki Minami!"

Mimiki smiled in excitement. "Oh wow! Me? In the first round? Awesome!" she squealed.

Marik on the other hand, wasn't a happy camper. _'Oh HELL no!'_

Marik wasn't the only one who wasn't too happy about the first duel. For once, Marik and Yami were in the same boat. Yugi materialized beside him again.

_"I have a bad feeling about this…"_ he admitted.

Yami nodded. _"Indeed. I don't think that we're dealing with the real Bakura…"_

As they started to make their way to the Stratos Deck, Yami stopped Mimiki by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yugi!" she exclaimed. "What's up? Ready to watch me duel?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, congratulations on being the first to duel." he said. "But before you go, I have to warn you," he said with his trademark serious tone. "You need to be careful during this duel."

Mimiki gave him a worried look. "What do you mean? It's just Bakura." she replied.

"I don't think that the person you'll be dueling is Bakura. Do you remember what happened at Duelist Kingdom?" he asked.

Mimiki searched her memories and frowned. She nodded. "I understand. I'll be sure to be careful, I promise."

"Thank you, Mimiki. Good luck!"

_________________________________

Minutes later, Kaiba had led everyone up to the Stratos Deck where the clear air smacked them all in the face upon exiting the elevator. The top of the blimp was sectioned off and the walls were five feet high. In the middle was a platform with railings surrounding the perimeter, minus the mini flight of stairs that led to the top.

The temperature was cold and Mimiki was glad that she brought her jacket. It had definitely grown colder that it had been when her and Kakayu were dueling up there before they landed. Even with the jacket, she shivered. Marik stood next to her as close as possible to try to give her more warmth without looking suspicious. There was more than enough room for everyone to stand and observe.

"I'm freezing!" Tea complained as she hugged herself. "Yeah! Why are we dueling up here?" Mai asked, feeling the same way. The girls all regretted their choice of clothing by wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts and mini skirts. Kaiba wasn't phased by their complaints. He was one of the ones fully covered besides Yugi, Mokuba and Tristan, so the cold didn't bother him. He stood on the opposite side of the dueling field with Mokuba and Kakayu.

"Kaiba Craft 3 is now cruising at an altitude of 4000 feet. The strong winds and cold air will test your strength and stamina, like a sword slicing the body. The pain will add harsh conditions to the duels. If you can't take it, you don't belong here."

"Wow! That's pretty cool!" Tristan said.

"Yeah!" Duke agreed. It puts a twist in it!"

"Of course you think that! You two aren't dueling!" Mai retorted.

Roland stepped onto the dueling platform. He shivered a bit from the wind, but remained professional.

"Duelists! Please make your way to the platform! The first duel is about to start!"

Mimiki and Bakura both took their respective sides opposite of each other on the arena. The arena then raised up three and a half feet and the hologram machine switched on.

"The first duel of the Battle City Semi-Finals, Mimiki Minami vs Ryou Bakura starts now!" Roland declared.

Yami's warning made Mimiki's bad feeling grow. She felt that his words were true; that her opponent wasn't the friendly and soft spoken classmate that they all knew and loved. Her mind trailed back to their adventures in Duelist Kingdom again. The evil spirit that inhabited Bakura's millennium ring had snatched their souls from their bodies and sealed them into their favorite duel monsters cards, forcing Yami to play through a shadow game to return everyone to normal. She shivered because of the cold wind and her flashback from the duel, but now it was neither here or there. She had to focus on winning this duel to save Marik from the darkness. That negative feeling grew heavier in her chest as she continued to look at Bakura, whose eyes were hidden under his spiky snow white mane. She remembered Marik's evil smirk from earlier. They had to be connected somehow.

"I have a strong feeling that you're acting like a sheep in wolf's clothing right now. Why don't you do us a favor and take off the mask?"

Bakura's frown curled into an evil smile. A low chuckle could be heard. Bakura's relaxed, spiky hair that covered his eyes now levitated upwards in the front, and his eyes were the menacing ones that everyone remembered. The millennium ring manifested over his blue and white striped shirt.

"Oh crap! It really is you!" Mimiki said.

"What the hell?!" Tristan said. "That can't be! I tossed that ring deep into the woods when we were at Duelist Kingdom! How did he get that back?!"

"I can't believe that creepy spirit is back!" Tea commented. Joey agreed with her. The memories with the evil spirit wasn't pleasant.

Marik, being the newcomer "Namu" decided to play along. He sported a confused look and turned to Joey.

"What are you all talking about? What's the big deal about that ring?"

Tea turned to him.

"Namu...I know that it's hard to explain, but that guy up there isn't really Bakura…"

"You lost me." Mai chimed in.

"That thing he's wearing is a millennium item. It's the millennium ring. They hold great magical powers and some have spirits inside of them. Yugi has an item called the millennium puzzle and he also has a spirit in it. Yugi's is a good spirit and Bakura's spirit is evil." Joey explained.

"So there's an evil spirit up there that's dueling Yugi? That's pretty hard to believe…" Namu said.

"Trust me, we didn't believe it at first either." Tea admitted.

"I just hope that he doesn't pull that shadow realm stunt like he did back at Duelist Kingdom. That's not a place where you want to be!" Joey said.

Marik smirked evilly. _'You idiots! You have no idea who I really am and that the spirit works for me!'_ he thought. _'But I didn't anticipate him and Mimi to duel...especially in the first round...this is going to be difficult. I don't want him hurting her, but I need him in order to win those god cards for me! This completely ruins our contract! Shit!'_

He focused his attention on Mimiki and the evil spirit, who were glaring at each other.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she asked. "Are you trying to get the millennium items again?!" she questioned.

"Still sharp as ever, I see." he replied. "How nice to see you again, Mimiki. I don't believe that you'll be winning this duel, even with your silly Dark Magician Girl strategy. I suggest that you give up now. This duel will end soon enough."

Mimiki shot another glare at the spirit. _'No one insults my Dark Magician Girl and gets away with it!'_

"You're right about one thing, it will be over soon enough and I'll be the winner." she stated. "After everything that's happened during the tournament, I plan on helping Yugi defeat the evil that came with this tournament and if that includes you, I'll be more than happy to add you to my list!" she declared. She had to choose her words carefully so she wouldn't reveal herself or Marik. Marik was happy with her cautionary measures. Maybe the tournament wouldn't turn out so bad after all, but he still had a hard time choosing sides.

"The evil that came with this tournament, you say? That's a lot coming from someone who has a hand in this so called evil, wouldn't you say?"

Mimiki stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

Mimiki saw his eyes quickly travel to Marik and back, making her heart race in fear. _'He knows!'_ she panicked. She tried to put on a brave face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." she replied.

"I think that you should take your mask off as well." he replied.

Everyone stood around in confusion.

_"Is he talking about her possible connection to Marik?"_ Yugi asked.

_"I don't know Yugi, but I can tell that she's hiding something. Let's see how this plays out."_ the pharaoh replied.

Mimiki quickly activated her duel disk. _'I have to shut him down, ASAP!'_

Marik quickly made a mind link with Bakura. He wasn't going to let him harass Mimiki and blow their cover.

_"You are talking too damn much, spirit! I thought that you wanted the rod?! Keep talking like that to her and the deal is off!"_ he roared. _"Mimiki is not a duelist to take lightly! Trust me!"_

Bakura brushed off his words of caution. _"You're only saying that because she's your lover, Marik! Don't worry, I'll still get what you want! I'll won't be too hard on your little secret lover."_

Bakura shut off the mind link and Marik mentally growled. _'He's lucky that he's dueling Mimi. If he was dueling the pharaoh liked I wanted, I'd take over his body and duel for him if he pulled this little stunt of his!'_

He looked back to Mimiki with worry. _"Good luck, Mimi."_

Mimiki didn't look back at him. For one, she didn't want to see the look on everyone's faces from Bakura's tell-all session and didn't want to cook up more suspicion.

_"You and I are going to have a long talk about this when this is over Marik!"_

_"Yes, Mimiki…"_ he replied. He could kiss his desired after duel kiss goodbye. 

Their duel ran long with all of the twists that the dark spirit of the ring unleashed against Mimiki. In the beginning, he had tricked her by allowing her to destroy weak monsters with her Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700), Magician's Valkyria (1600/1800) and Angelic Aqua Warrior (1900/1500). He lost many life points as a result. With those monsters destroyed, he summoned a powerful monster called Dark Necrofear (2200/2800). The monster had blue skin and was bald. Her outfit resembled something of a demonic dominatrix and she held a creepy looking baby doll in her arms.

Bakura thought that he would be able to destroy her precious Dark Magician Girl, but Mimiki used a magic card, Magical Formula, to increase her attack points to 2500. Her Dark Magician Girl easily destroyed the demon, but Bakura didn't seem worried in the slightest. Mimiki still had 4000 life points while Bakura was down to 100 life points.

"Thanks for destroying my Dark Necrofear. As a thank you, I'll play this…"

The held up a field card and slid it in the special hidden slot. The field became engulfed in a dark red and purple sky littered with disembodied eyes and fang-filled mouths. Some of the mouths even had eyes in them. Everyone shivered at the new playing field. Joey hid behind Serenity.

"Welcome to the Dark Sanctuary! You have no idea what you just unleashed!" Bakura said. "This terrifying dark magic will keep you in a constant state of fear until Hell destroys you!"

"I'm not afraid of your Hell!" she replied. "Besides you only have 100 life points and no monsters to defend yourself with. I'll end this during my next turn."

Bakura smiled evilly as he saw the ghost of the Dark Sanctuary float around slowly and commanded it to posses her Dark Magician Girl.

"My turn! Dark Magician Girl! Attack him with Dark Burning Attack!" she commanded.

Dark Magician Girl readied her attack, but the ghost shot out of her back and attacked Mimiki. She screamed and guarded herself with her arms.

Everyone gasped. "Mimi!"

Mimiki growled. "What was that about?!"

Bakura snickered. "In this Dark Sanctuary, a possessive ghost runs free...and it possessed your beloved magician and attacked you instead. So now half of her attack points are deducted from your life points and are added to mine." he answered happily.

Mimiki gasped when she saw her life points drop to 2750 while his rose to 1350.

"Are all of my monsters possessed?"

"You'll just have to attack and find out for yourself."

Mimiki glared at him again and growled. Not wanting to risk it again, she decided not to attack. _'He wants to play with Hell, huh? Well I have to change my strategy! I have an idea...hopefully the heart of the cards will help me and I can balance this duel.'_

"I play a magic card, Holy Aqua Crystal! I give it to my Angelic Aqua Warrior as a present. Lastly, I play one card face down and end my turn."

Everyone watched the monster accept the gift. They all wondered why there was no affect change in the monster, but Kakayu was well aware of Mimiki's change of strategy.

_'Kick his ass Mimi!'_ she rooted.

Bakura then played his Ouija Board card. A giant blue Ouija board appeared above Bakura's head. Then he played a trap card with the letter "D" on it. Mimiki was disgusted. She hated Ouija boards. She was never a fan of horror related themes.

"You have five turns to try to defeat me." Bakura stated. "On each of my turns, the board will spell out another letter that will spell "DEATH". If you can't defeat me by then, you lose!"

Mimiki scoffed at him. "I'm not worried! I'll take you down before your ridiculous board can finish its spelling bee!"

Everyone was worried that things were starting to look bad for her. Marik's eyes held a mix of worry and confidence. He remembered that Mimiki would turn things around at the last minute when they were younger, but he didn't know what to expect. He created another mind link.

_"Are you sure that you'll be okay, Mimiki? Four turns isn't a lot of time…"_

_"Don't worry, you know how I am. I have a plan."_

"I'm not finished yet. I play the magic card, Dark Door. Now we can only attack once per turn! Then I play Earthbound Spirit and sacrifice it to keep Dark Sanctuary in play!"

The monster appeared on the field and disappeared as quickly it was summoned. He watched his ghost possess another monster. "I end my turn."

_'Dammit! Now I have to be really careful! I hope that I don't mess up too badly. I have to win this!'_

She drew a card that she needed, but focused on attacking Bakura. Mimiki's mistake came all too quickly. She made the mistake of thinking that the ghost was only possessing her Dark Magician Girl, so she ordered her Angelic Aqua Warrior to attack. The ghost attacked her again and knocked her life points down to 1800 and raising Bakura's again to 2300. She cursed at her mistake.

"I play another Holy Aqua Crystal and summon Fairy Cheer Girl in defense mode! I also play Pot of Greed!"

Mimiki drew two more cards that she needed: the final Holy Aqua Crystal and Seraph Angel. Now she needed one more card to even the duel out. She couldn't summon her monster just yet. _'Please don't let it take forever to gain this last card!'_ she prayed.

"I place another card face down and end my turn."

When Bakura took his turn, he placed another card into a bottom slot and the letter "E" appeared. "You'd better hurry, Mimiki! Only three letters to go!"

Mimiki stood there and pondered.

"I just thought about something...you can't spell out the entire word! You don't have enough magic card slots left!" she said triumphantly. "With Dark Door in play, there's no room for all five letters!"

Bakura laughed evilly. "You thought that you had me, didn't you? As long as Dark Sanctuary is in play, he can play more than five magic cards. I can simply play magic and trap cards in the monster zone."

Everyone included Mimiki gasped. _'You've got to be frickin KIDDING me!'_ she screamed

"Mimiki better think of something quick!" Duke said.

"If she could figure out which of her monsters is possessed, she can launch an attack." Mai noted.

"Well if she doesn't do something, she'll lose in three turns and get kicked out of the finals!" Duke replied. "I thought that she was better duelist than this! What happened to all of that flare she had at school?"

He was met with angry looks from Tristan, Mai and Namu.

"Do you have to be so negative?!" Tristan asked.

"Yeah!" Namu chimed in. "Isn't she your friend? Why are you counting her out before the duel is over? She must be a good duelist if she made it this far!"

_'You will NOT insult my Mimi!'_ he thought.

"Namu's right! We female duelists pack quite a punch!" she said. "Mimiki earned her way here just like every other duelist here, so hush!"

Serenity turned to Joey.

"Joey? Is what Mai said true? Do you think that Mimiki is going to win?"

Joey gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course she will Serenity! Mims is no pushover!"

Marik's eye twitched when he heard Joey's nickname for her again.

_'I'll let it slide this time Wheeler because you praised her, but this can't keep happening!'_

Everyone started to give her encouragement.

"Don't give up!" Tea shouted.

"Yeah! You can win this, Mims!" Joey shouted.

"Show him your true power, Mimi!" Kakayu shouted.

_"You can do it, Mimi!"_ Marik said via mind link.

Yami looked at her and gave her a small smile a nod.

Mimiki smiled at their kind words. "Thank you everyone!" she replied with a sweet smile before looking back at Bakura. "My turn!"

She pulled her next card. A huge smile graced her face she was so happy that she jumped a little in excitement. Bakura wasn't too happy with her behavior.

"May I ask why you're so excited?" Bakura asked.

"You know what? It's too dark in here. I think it's time that we let some light in, wouldn't you agree?"

Bakura scoffed. "No, I don't. You can't get rid of my Dark Sanctuary!"

Bakura was beginning to get mad. If he wanted the rod from Marik, he had to win, even if Marik wasn't too keen on him beating his beloved in a duel. He commanded the ghost to possess her Angelic Aqua Angel, thinking that she wouldn't think that he'd possess the same monster twice in a row. He needed her to attack to him!

"Who said anything about getting rid of your hellhole of a field card? All I want to do is brighten up the place." she said before winking at Kakayu. Kakayu smiled and replied with a thumbs up. "Get him, Mimi!"

Kaiba was curious and leaned over to Kakayu's ear. "What is she planning?"

Kakayu smiled and placed a finger over her lips. "You'll see very soon!"

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Bakura asked.

Mimiki shot him a smile filled with confidence. "It's rather simple, really. Let me show you!" she said. "First, I play face down card! My last Holy Aqua Crystal!"

Her monster accepted the last gift and her body began to glow in a pure light. Bakura stiffened. _'What is she planning to do?!'_

"Next, since I can't see your unwanted ghost, I'll just have to cast it out for good!" she stated.

"You can't do that!" he yelled. _'Just attack with that angel already!'_

"I think I can and I'll do it by playing this lovely card: Heaven's Sanctuary!"

She placed the field card in the appropriate slot. Pure light started to occupy her side of the field. White and golden clouds surround them and a golden pearl gate encrusted with jewels stood behind her. In the back was a city whose buildings and streets were made of gold. Everyone was in awe of its beauty and the power it displayed. Bakura growled as his ghost was cast out of her monster and appeared on his side of the field. Mimiki took it as a sign that the ghost was gone.

"And what's heaven without a powerful angel? I sacrifice my Angelic Aqua Warrior and my Magician's Valkyria to summon my Seraph Angel!"

The two monsters disappeared and the gate doors burst open with immense power and pure light. A shower of feathers littered the field and the angelic monster flew out of the city and appeared in front of Mimiki.

"Meet my latest monster; Seraph Angel (3500/3800)."

Everyone gasped, excluding Kakayu. They didn't know about her newest addition. Kaiba scoffed. He was upset that her card was more powerful than his Blue Eyes White Dragon, but it quickly went away when he thought about Obelisk. Now that he got to see what else she had in her arsenal, he was eager to see how it worked.

Bakura tried to possess the seraph with his ghost, but it was shot back into the Dark Sanctuary again. He tried again with the remaining Dark Magician Girl and Fairy Cheer Girl, but the ghost failed each time. Mimiki smirked. Even she could see the ghost now.

"What the devil!" Bakura complained loudly. "Why can't my ghost possess your monsters!"

"It's simple," she replied. "Evil entities can't exist in Heaven. Thanks to my Heaven's Sanctuary, my monsters are protected by its holy power."

Bakura gnashed his teeth. She sent his plans straight to hell...literally. His anger burned hotter than hell's flames.

"Now that you don't have anything to protect you, I'll be finishing my turn. Your Dark Door card only allows us to attack once, so I have to make this count."

She pointed a declarative finger towards him, her monsters ready for her command.

"Seraph Angel! Attack with Holy Barrage!"

Bakura's eyes widened as everyone witnessed the seraph raise her hands. Orbs of light had gathered on Mimiki's side of the field, which transformed into sharp looking projectiles. She swung her arm down and the light shot quickly at Bakura and sent Dark Sanctuary to oblivion. He screamed from the barrage and his life points plummeted to zero. Roland turned to Mimiki.

"And our first winner of the night is Mimiki Minami!" he announced. Everyone cheered for her victory. She sighed as the field returned to normal. The platform had lowered itself. She looked at Bakura with concerned eyes. The power of the attack caused Bakura to return to his normal self. His injured body stood for a very short time before he collapsed. Everyone gasped and ran up to him. The poor boy was barely conscious. Kakayu asked Kaiba to arrange for medical care for Bakura and Tristan carried the pale teenager to his room, everyone following in tow. After getting him settled in, the doctor announced that he would be fine, but he just needed to rest. Everyone sighed in relief, but Mimiki felt guilty that he ended up like this in the first place. She was so focused on beating the spirit that she had forgotten the power that her Serap Angel held.

"I'm sorry, everyone." she said quietly. "I didn't mean to knock him out like that. I feel horrible!" she said with her head buried in her hand.

Joey patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Mims! He's okay now." he assured her.

Yami agreed. "Yes. With him being in possession of the millennium ring, it was bound to happen, whether it was you or someone else."

"The important thing is that he'll recover. He just needs some rest, like the doctor said." Tea chimed in.

"Tea's right, Mimi." Kakayu said. "Don't feel bad. We'll check on him as the tournament goes on. The next duel will start in twenty minutes, so everyone get your decks together while you still can!"

Everyone nodded and retreated from the room, except for Tea. Her eyes had become blank and she held the millennium ring behind her back. She let out a low, evil chuckle. Everyone hadn't noticed that ring was gone.

While everyone was in their respective rooms, Mimiki had returned to hers and treated herself to a bottle of water. Although she handed the spirit his ass on a silver platter, she still felt guilty that Bakura wound up in medical care. A part of her didn't feel so bad.

_'That asshole of a spirit almost exposed Marik and I! I had to shut him up! I had no choice!'_ she argued with herself. _'If he did, he would've made my job of saving Marik a whole lot harder! I need to handle this myself without other people getting involved. Ishizu can't help me now and if I go to Odion, someone might catch me and this whole operation would crumble. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Bakura!'_

Fifteen minutes later, Marik joined her in her room. She took another sip of water and turned to him while giving him the evil eye.

"About time you got here! Mind explaining to me what the hell that was about?!" she asked as quietly as she could. Now that the excitement of the start of the finals was over, no one was partying and making a bunch of noise. She knew that Kaiba had spared no expense on this tournament and that the walls were soundproof to a degree, but she knew that if her voice went up a few octaves, Kaiba would be demanding a refund to the builder. Marik sighed. He wanted to get an after duel kiss from her, but thanks to Bakura, that was tossed clear out the window.

"I know that you're angry, Mimi…" he started.

"Uh huh. Go on." she said.

He then started to explain how the spirit of the ring had gotten involved in the tournament and how the said events led up to now. Mimiki almost squeezed the life out of her water bottle.

"That's how all of this started?! What the hell, Marik?!"

"I know, I know. I've done a lot of planning and scheming."

Mimiki rolled her eyes. "That's the understatement of the year!" she replied. "Enough of the secrets Marik! Your blasted partner almost ratted us out! I want to know everything! Right now!" she demanded.

"Right now?" he asked. He didn't want to explain it just yet. He felt like it wasn't the right time. He knew that he'd promise to tell her soon, but he didn't want to tell her this soon! _'Damn that spirit!'_

"Did I specify another time?" she asked sarcastically. "You can start with having Odion pose as you! Come on! I'm waiting!"

Marik was silent for a moment. Her turbulent eyes were drilling into him like a category five hurricane.

"Today, Marik!" she demanded.

Marik sighed. He didn't want to risk someone coming into the room if she got louder.

"Well I requested that Odion—"

They were interrupted by a voice from the television. "Attention duelists!"

Ben's face appeared on the screen. The two teens focused on him.

"The next duelist selection will be held in five minutes. Everyone please make their way to the dining hall now." Ben commanded.

Mimiki growled. "This will have to wait." she said. "We'll talk about this after the next duel. Let's leave like last time."

Marik nodded and she tossed her bottle into the recycle bin. Mimiki left first and joined the gang while Marik followed behind closely.

After everyone had gathered in the dining hall, they waited eagerly as Ben activated the Blue Eyes lottery machine again. The balls flew around and everyone grew anxious. Finally the first ball rolled onto the bottom tray. Ben grabbed the ball and read the number.

"The first duelist of the second round of the finals is number 2, Joey Wheeler!" Ben announced.

Everyone clapped for Joey as he cheered. Finally the next ball fell into the tray.

"And his opponent is number 9, Marik Ishtar!"

Everyone turned to Odion, who was standing away in the corner like he had during dinner. Odion wasn't phased at the looks of hate he was receiving. He knew that things like this came with the job. Everyone gave him the evil eye, except for Mimiki and Marik. Marik had smiled and Mimiki was sporting a mixed look of worry and frustration. She wished that her and Marik had been able to fully discuss Odion's role in the finals. She hoped that nothing would go wrong during their duel. They both knew that Odion's resolve wouldn't falter and he wouldn't do anything to mess up Marik's plans.

Joey was fired up to duel Marik. He wanted to repay him in spades for brainwashing him and forcing him to duel Yugi.

Everyone made their way to the Stratos Deck again and assumed their previous positions while Roland, Joey and Odion took their places on the dueling platform. Roland ordered for the platform to be raised and then ordered the two duelists to shuffle each other's decks. Odion finished quickly while Joey eyed him evilly and continued to shuffle Odion's deck. After a while, Roland had to stop him.

"That's enough! You've shuffled enough for several duels! Take you deck!" he ordered. Joey snatched his deck from Odion's hand, while Odion calmly reclaimed his. His stoic face didn't falter. They took their sides on the field.

"The second round of the Battle City Semi-Finals, Joey Wheeler vs Marik Ishtar starts now!"

In the cheering section, Serenity was excited.

"I'm so happy that Joey is dueling! It's so exciting! I hope that he's ready to duel!"

Everyone turned to her, wondering why she was so excited. To them, it was just another duel.

"Oh yeah, this is your first time seeing your brother duel, isn't it Serenity?" Tea asked. The young girl nodded in excitement.

"That's right!"

Serenity wasn't the only one that was excited. Kaiba stood on the other side with Mokuba and Kakayu. He knew that Marik was the other wielder of an Egyptian god card: The Winged Dragon of Ra. He had already seen the other two in action, so seeing the final one would make him as happy as a kid in a candy shop.

_'How fitting that Wheeler is dueling Marik! He'll make a nice guinea pig for this test.'_ he thought happily. _'Sooner or later, when I beat Yugi and Marik, I'll be the strongest duelist and reclaim my title of Duel King!'_

Kakayu stood in silence and stared at Odion with a puzzled look.

_'I can't believe that I thought Mimi's Marik was this guy...he looks nothing like that boy in her picture...I feel really silly!'_ she thought. _'He doesn't look like her type anyways, nor does he act like it! That bastard almost got half of us killed! I hope that Joey will beat him for all of us!'_

Her eyes trailed to her cousin, who was standing next to Namu. The two were behind Tea, Duke and Tristan. Although Mimiki kept a straight face, Kakayu could tell that Mimiki was in deep thought; it was in her eyes. She wanted to talk to her, but decided that now wasn't the right time.

_'Now that I think about it, that duelist next to her looks more like her friend…'_ she thought. Kakayu observed that Mimiki wasn't paying Namu any mind, so she tossed the idea to the side for now.

_'We have a fifteen minute break between the next two duels and we'll be done for the night...if I can't talk to her during the breaks, I'll definitely talk to her before we go to bed. I feel like something doesn't add up.'_

On the dueling platform, Joey pointed angrily at Odion. "Listen up, you bastard! You're not winning this duel!" he declared. "By my math, you'll be packing your bag in eleven turns!"

Everyone gave him odd and unimpressed look, except for his baby sister. She on the other hand, was clapping her hands happily.

"Oh wow! It's amazing that Joey knows how much time it'll take to beat Marik!"

"I just want to know where the hell did he get eleven from." Duke said.

"With Joey, you don't ask." Mimiki said.

Odion then pulled the millennium rod from his cape and flashed it for everyone to see, making them gasp. It brought back bad memories for some of them.

_'Is he really going to use that against Joey?'_ Mimiki wondered in concern.

_"Don't worry, Mimiki."_ Marik said. _"What Odion has is a replica. I have the real one right here, behind my back."_

Mimiki cut her eyes and saw the golden object in his left hand, as bright as day.

_"How in the hell did you get that past everyone?!"_ she asked with widened eyes.

Marik smirked. _"I have my ways. Don't worry, I won't use it on your friend. I'm using it to communicate with Odion."_

_"Oh…"_ she replied solemnly.

Marik grabbed her hand quickly and gave it a small squeeze. She looked over to him with worried eyes and gave her a small smile. _"Don't worry, everything will be clear soon, just like I promised. Everything will be okay. Trust me."_

_"Okay."_ she said with a small nod. _"Thank you."_ he replied. With that, he shut off their mind link and released her hand. No matter how much Marik was assuring her, Mimiki couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong—very wrong.

_'Oh how I wish that I could talk to Ishizu right now! Getting Marik to stop his plans has been difficult! Just talking to him and being with him isn't enough! Even playing innocent and sneaking around is harder than I thought! I need her help!'_

Unbeknownst to them, Ishizu was on board the airship. She had been the last to arrive and was assigned Room 10 for her stay. She sat in the chair next to the small round table that held a glass of red wine. She opted out of watching the duels for the moment. She already knew what the outcome would be long beforehand, thanks to the millennium necklace. Ishizu didn't believe it was time to reveal herself to everyone yet, especially Mimiki. Not only was time not on her side, she knew that her brother would occupy most of her free time in between duels. She knew of the dark times ahead. Only she knew the truth. Odion will fall; and that other man would be reborn.

Back on the Stratos Deck, Joey and Odion had continued their duel. Odion was giving Joey a run for his money. He had played a field magic card, Royal Temple, that gave Odion the ability to play more trap cards in one turn than he was allowed. While Joey built an offense with three monsters, Odion was planning a sneaky defense by playing more face down cards. Joey tried to rid the field of its temple with his Giant Trunade card, but it didn't work. One of Odion's traps, Judgement of Anubis, was activated and subtracted half of all of his monster's attack points from his life points, leaving him with less than half of his life points.

The gang tried to cheer him on, but Joey keep falling for trap after trap. Odion had summoned three Embodiment of Apophis (1600 ATK) trap monsters. The humanoid snake-like monsters were more than powerful enough to take out the rest of Joey's life points.

During the duel, Mimiki saw that he was smiling a little too evilly during the duel and elbowed him lightly on his side. Marik grew irritated. He wished that she would leave everything to him and trust him like she said she would, but he should've known that her stubbornness and her feelings for her friends would supersede that. He decided to deal with it. She would know soon enough.

Later, Joey managed to build his offense and summon Jinzo (2400/1500), Legendary Fisherman (1850/1600) and Insect Queen (2200/2400) and land a huge dent in Odion's life points, landing him at 400 life points. Also, thanks to Jinzo's special effect, Odion couldn't use any trap cards. Everyone cheered, but Odion informed Joey that he wouldn't win. As the duel went on, Odion was starting to act more like himself than Marik; he was actually playing fair. everyone was starting to get suspicious and Marik's patience was growing thin. He quickly created a mind link between them.

_"Odion! I can't believe that you let that bastard come this far! Everyone is starting to get suspicious! You have to continue our charade! Beat him now!"_ he commanded.

_"...Yes Master Marik…"_

Odion quickly played Swords of Revealing Light to keep Joey at bay and summoned a powerful monster, Mystical Beast Selket (2500 ATK), which ate all of Joey's monsters. Everyone wasn't too keen on watching the beast feast on its victims, especially the girls. Just hearing the sound effects made them want to vomit. The Mystical beast's effect added half of its victims attack power to its original attack power. As a result, the beast had 5725 attack points. Odion didn't issue an attack, which made the other's wonder if he really was who he claimed to be.

"Why isn't Marik attacking Joey?" Tea asked. "His monster can clearly wipe him out."

Next, Odion drew his next card. The card in question made his eyes shrink. Marik saw the look on Odion's face and smiled. Odion's hand shook a bit.

_"Why are you so surprised? You are posing as me, after all."_

_"But Master Marik...I can't wield this card! It's too dangerous! I'm not worthy!"_ he said. _"Please don't make me play it!"_ he pleaded, which fell on Marik's deaf ears.

_"Play it! You must make them think that you are me! The card that you have is only a copy! I couldn't risk losing the most powerful duel monsters card. I realized that people connected to the ancient scriptures can play that card, which you know much of. You'll be fine! This is a chance for you to be accepted into the tomb keeper's clan and truly become a part of the Ishtar family!"_

Odion swallowed hard as he breathing slowed. He thought back to when he begged Mr. Ishtar to join their family and how he his plea was instantly rejected. Odion looked back to the god card and shook again.

_'I know the dangers are great, but I must obey my master…'_

"I'll summon a monster that you can't destroy!" Odion declared.

Odion played the card and sealed it inside the ark with hesitation and everyone noted that Odion was acting weird.

"Be careful Joey!" everyone warned.

Joey was expecting the worse, but Odion kept fighting honorably. It made him really think that Odion wasn't Marik.

"You're fighting fair. I don't think that you're who you say you are."

Odion frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"At the beginning of the duel, I was really pissed at you, but now I'm not. I have no respect for the man who controlled my mind, but you're not fighting dirty." he replied. "Maybe I'll lose now, but this duel will be almost the best duel I've had so far. You're a true duelist! I don't know why you pretend to be Marik, but my instincts are telling me that you aren't that bastard that controlled me and my friends. You're not Marik!" he stated for everyone to hear.

Everyone started questioning Joey's words. Kaiba scoffed with folded arms.

"Of course he's Marik! He has the last Egyptian god card!" he argued.

On the other side, Yugi and the other's were staring at Odion. Yugi could help but agree with Joey.

_'Joey's right. He doesn't seem like the man who's been trying to kill us and steal my puzzle...if he's not the real Marik, then who is?'_

Yugi glanced behind himself at Marik and Mimiki. Mimiki held a look of worry in her eyes and Marik who was very angry at the situation, tried his best to hide his feelings.

_'If I'm exposed, my plan will be ruined!'_

Odion didn't have to look at Marik to gauge his anger. He quickly pulled out his millennium rod replica and showed to it Joey.

"I am Marik and I will prove it to you now!"

With much hesitation, Odion sacrificed his Mystical Beast Selket and summoned Marik's trademark card: The Winged Dragon of Ra. The sky turned dark with black storm clouds and lightning strikes. The golden monster slowly appeared from the clouds and showed his powerful glory by roaring. Everyone basked in its power and Kaiba was smiling like a maniac. _'Thanks for being the guinea pig, Wheeler!'_

Mimiki's eyes widened as she continued to look at the god. _'It really does shine, just like Marik told me…'_ she thought as she remembered her birthday back in Egypt. _'It's magnificent!'_

Odion was hesitant, but turned to the god card. "Now attack his life points directly!" he commanded.

The card didn't budge. Little did they know that when he played that fake card, all hell was about to break loose.

Marik's duel disk began to glow violently, shocking him and Mimiki. Mimiki gave him a look of concern.

_"What's going on, Marik?! Why is your duel disk glowing like that?!"_

_"It's emitting a ton of rage...it's as if the real Winged Dragon is angry that a fake card was played in its place!"_

_"A fake god card?!"_ she asked with widened eyes. _"What were you thinking?!"_

The fake god didn't obey the rest of Odion's commands growled. A sudden storm brewed and lightning rained down on the field. _'Ra's rage is going to strike everyone down!'_ Marik thought.

"Everyone! Take cover!" Yami yelled.

Everyone screamed as they tried to protect themselves from the lightning barrage. Odion stood still, his eyes focused on the ground.

_'I'm sorry Master Marik...I've failed you…'_ With that thought, Odion was struck right on his head and his replica of the rod shattering into pieces. Yami was the only one who saw the rod shatter.

_'It was a fake! He's not the real Marik!'_

Marik looked up to Odion is despair. _"Odion!"_

As he fell to the ground, Odion remembered how he couldn't save Marik from the tomb keeper's initiation and he couldn't protect him now. He looked over to Marik somberly.

_"I tried my best to serve you, master...I tried...I'm sorry…"_

The Egyptian fell to the ground. Joey tried to help him, but he was also struck down and fainted. Everyone screamed and Tristan ran up to help him, but Roland stopped him.

"Stop! You're not allowed to come up here! A duel is in progress!"

Tristan shot him a nasty look. "Can't you see that they're out cold?!"

"Maybe so, but they still have life points left. So according to Battle City rules, this duel is still in progress! Now get off the playing field!"

Mimiki stepped up and tried to crawl up with Tristan. "Forget the rules and help them!" she pleaded.

Before Roland could respond, Kaiba spoke.

"Enough! I don't know where that lightning came from, but it wasn't from the Kaiba Corp Duel Disk system! Whatever this seems to be, this lightning storm is a freak act of nature and nothing more!"

Mai scoffed at the CEO. "Who cares?! Just stop the duel now!"

Roland was unsure of what to do. Now that they were out cold, the lightning storm had stopped. "Should I issue a double forfeit and disqualify them both?" he asked Kaiba.

Kaiba shook his head. "Not yet! They both still have life points! The first one who stands first in five minutes wins!"

Yami turned to Kaiba. "Kaiba! That's ridiculous!" he shouted.

Mimiki bit her lip and looked at Kakayu, who was frozen at the scene.

_'Kai! How could you let Kaiba let this slide?! They need help! Damn that bastard!'_

She also felt like this was her fault because she entrusted the duel to Marik. Everyone pleaded for Joey to wake up. Before the five minute deadline, Joey regained consciousness again and was declared the winner. The dueling deck was lowered and everyone ran up to the duel pad and aided Odion. Meanwhile, Marik started to clinch his head in pain and groaned. _'Shit...what wrong with me? I know that I'm sensitive to the cold, but a migraine? This is ridiculous!'_ he thought.

Yami and Joey helped Mimiki lift the bulky man up into her lap; he was heavier than he looked. Odion started breathing slowly as Mimiki rubbed his injured head. "Come on, man! Wake up!" Joey demanded. Odion grunted in response and slowly opened his eyes.

"Odion! You're okay! How are you feeling?"

Yami and Joey looked at her in confusion.

_"Odion? His name is Odion? How did she know that?"_

Yami glared at them. _"Let's wait to see what happens, Yugi. I'm not liking where this is going."_ he replied.

Finally he started to talk and looked up at Mimiki, who was elated that he was speaking.

"Miss Mimiki...it's...nice to see you...again…" She replied with a warm smile. "I'm just glad that you're okay." she said.

Odion smiled at her and then turned to Joey. "Joey...it was an honor to duel you. Please...forgive me for…my past transgressions…"

Joey's expression softened. He could feel the genuineness from his words and smiled at him. "Same to you, buddy. And after being hit by that lightning bolt, I won't forget this duel for a long while. Now it's time for you to come clean. If you're not Marik, who are you pal and how do you know Mims?"

Odion groaned in pain again and tried to move. "Stay still! You're hurt! You need to rest. Don't worry, we'll help you." Mimiki said.

"No, Miss Mimiki. I'm alright...but you need to get away from here...you'll be in danger…" he said weakly.

Mimiki shot him a confused look. The duel was over and so was the storm.

"What are you talking about? I'll be okay and so is everyone else...you'll be okay too..." she assured him.

"Who are you?" Yami asked again, getting straight to the point.

"I' am...only a mere servant...to the real...Master Marik." he said pointing weakly towards Marik. Marik was still holding his head in pain, along with the millennium rod in his left hand.

"That's Marik?!" everyone asked in unison, excluding Mimiki. _'Oh no...not now!'_ she thought. Tea was in shock. She felt like a bucket of disappointment was about to be dropped on her.

"Miss Mimiki...you have to go to him...calm him down before...it happens again…before that man...is born again!"

Yami looked at her, questioning what was going on. First, she had been acting strangely ever since his first Battle City duel. Now she was fraternizing with his greatest enemy. Their eyes met and she gave him an apologizing look. "I'm sorry, Yugi…" she muttered to him.

Mimiki didn't question Odion's request and ran to Marik's side. She didn't know what to do exactly, but she was determined to help him.

"Marik! Marik! What's wrong?!"

Marik groaned loudly. "My head...it's...splitting!" he muttered. "It hurts...so much!"

Mimiki held him and rubbed his head softly as he weakly wrapped his free arm around her waist. "It's okay! I'll take care of you."

Everyone stared at the two weirdly. Why would she help the man that tried to kill them on several occasions? She even put herself in danger to help them! Was it all an act?

Tea's eyes widened when she saw the millennium rod. "It's that rod! It's just like the other one the other guy had!"

Yami's expression matched Tea's. "So that's the real millennium rod! Which mean Namu is the real Marik!" Yugi stated to Yami. Yami's eyes narrowed. "Reveal your true identity, Marik!" he demanded.

Marik managed to block the pain and looked up weakly. He smiled evilly towards them. "Yes...I'm the real Marik, you idiots!"

"So you're not Namu? You really lied to us?!" Tea asked. _'Why are the cute ones always the evil ones?!'_

Marik heard her and smiled wickedly as he released himself from Mimiki's embrace.

"Namu? Of course not! That was a ploy to get closer to the pharaoh. Why would I ever consider being friends with that bastard?!"

"You little worm!" Joey shouted.

"He's the one who brainwashed you." Yami said.

Mimiki was taken aback by Marik's attitude. "Marik! That's rude! Don't talk about him like that! He doesn't deserve it!" Mimiki yelled. Marik turned to her quickly.

"No, Mimiki!" he snapped "You don't know! You don't know what he's done to me! My family! I never told you! You don't remember, but it's okay! I'll settle this and it'll be all over!"

Mimiki gasped at his outburst. Everything was falling apart too quickly. She could feel everyone's eyes drilling into them. Tears started to build up.

"Marik! What are you talking about?" she asked with a cracked voice. "I don't remember what exactly? Tell me everything right now!" she demanded. She had enough of this whole thing and wanted the truth—now.

Marik felt bad for leaving her out of the loop for so long and for involving her, but ignored her as his heart was being filled with vengeance. He looked at Yami with that same evil snicker, his eyes becoming more lifeless by the second.

"Pharoah...we finally meet face to face! I'll finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't and after all of this time, I'll have my revenge! You will pay for your sins! Yugi...your puzzle and power will soon be where it belongs!"

Marik quickly held his head in his hands again and groaned louder. A ghostly image appeared from his face. Mimiki grew scared but embraced him again out of panic, trying to motion him to the elevator. Odion noticed that his hair was beginning to spike upwards slowly again.

"Oh no...I was afraid of this...you all are in danger...he has an evil side that I can no longer suppress...please run…beware...the great evil within...it's too late now..."

Odion fainted in Yami's arms. Yami gasped and tried to shake him awake.

"No, wait! You have to tell us more!"

Marik groaned louder. "Let me out! You can't restrain me anymore!" a poisonous voice said. It sent shivers up Mimiki's spine and fear started building up in her chest. "Marik, what are you talking about?!"

Marik stopped walking and shoved Mimiki away as he lunged his head back with a sickening scream. Tristan and Duke quickly caught her before she hit the floor. She quickly thanked the two and looked towards Marik in fear.

"Marik! What's going on?!" Yami asked.

After a couple of seconds, Marik released his head and chuckled. Mimiki walked slowly towards him. "M-marik…? Are you okay…?"

He lifted his head forward and looked at her with his lifeless lavender eyes. Mimiki started to shake as she realized what had happened. Those eyes, his spiky hair, the eye of Anubis, that sickening smile—her nightmare had become her reality. What happened to her friend?

"M-m-m-marik…?" she asked weakly. He smirked at her.

"Well, well, well...look at you...it's been a long time, my dear Mimi." he said while eyeing her up and down. "I'm more than okay...especially now that I'm free with that pitiful Odion out of my way…and that piss poor excuse of my weak side! Now I can do things my way!"

His voice made her tremble harder, her mouth drying and her heart feeling like it could stop at any moment.

_'I can't stop shaking! I'm so scared!'_

Mimiki swallowed hard and managed to speak. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"Marik...why are you talking about Odion like this? Please...what's wrong with you?" she asked as she reached her arm out to him. Marik cut her off in maniacal laughter. Mimiki stepped back as the others watched.

"Ah yes, Mimi...I forgot that you don't remember me…"

"I-I-I remember you just fine Marik…Come on...stop it! Please! This isn't funny!" she said as she became teary eyed. _'Someone wake me up!'_

He smirked again at her as he chuckled.

"Hm...that hit to your head back then has really done quite the number on you...I guess I swung you too hard into that wall...no matter, my dear...I'll help you remember!"

He quickly used the power of the rod on her before Yami could intervene. Mimiki's body froze as the memories that she locked deep inside were uncovered. The murder...the blood...the paralyzing fear until she blacked out. Mimiki snapped back into reality and screamed as her tears fell rapidly.

"NO!"

Marik smiled at her pain as he slowly walked towards her. "So I see you remembered Mimi. Glad we got that out of the way…"

He reached out to touch her, but she slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare...call me Mimi! You're not Marik! You're a monster!"

Kakayu ran up to her to protect her with Tristan and Duke. Marik was amused at their display—as if they could actually protect her from the power of the millennium rod.

"Don't you dare touch her! Mimiki, how do you know him?!" Tristan asked.

Afraid that they'd all judge her harshly, Mimiki didn't respond. She couldn't find the words to say and turned away from them, wrapping her arms around herself to find some form of comfort. The cold air didn't help, making her whimper and Marik decided to take matters into his own hands.

"So you haven't told them about us, Mimi? Go on! Tell them! Tell them everything! Tell them how we shared our first kiss together! How you melted in my arms downstairs in your room! All the time we spent together three and a half years ago! Go on, tell them my love!"

Mimiki started to cry and shake again as he kept bringing up the past.

"Stop it! Don't you see you're hurting her?!" Kakayu shouted as she quickly embraced her. Yami quickly stood up and confronted him.

"I might not know every detail of this, but I won't allow you to continue to hurt Mimiki or anyone else!"

"Stay out of this, pharaoh!" Marik snapped. "This is between me and the girl! You and I have other business of a completely different nature to settle! With the power of Ra, I'll kill you along with your friends and Odion! You better prepare for the real battle!"

Yami gritted his teeth and spoke again. "Who are you?!"

Marik turned from him and closed his eyes as his fingers grasped the millennium rod. "I'm the true Marik and I'm not as nice as the one you've come to know. That boy was afraid of the darkness...but I love the darkness!"

Everyone couldn't believe the mess that Marik was talking. They couldn't believe that Odion actually dealt with this maniac and they really couldn't believe that him and Mimiki had a history together; one that she kept a secret from them for so long. Joey glared at him.

"Hey pal, get a life!"

"You idiot! Thanks to Odion's failure, I now have a life! Of course by failing, Odion proved one thing; one a chosen few can control an Egyptian god card. Kaiba, you're one."

Kaiba scoffed at his comment. "Marik, I'm sick and tired of hearing about this Egyptian fairytale bullshit. I control Obelisk because I'm a master duelist."

Marik imitated the same scoff. "Don't deny your ancient past, Kaiba. You'll find that you can't escape your 3000 year old memories. You'll learn in good time, Kaiba. Your role in this game runs deeper than you think. However, that won't matter once I'm through with you all."

Marik turned to Mimiki as his eyes met up with hers. He relished in the distress and heartbreak in her eyes and it made him feel more powerful. 'Fear and distress is such a wonderful thing!' he thought we smiling evilly at her.

"Mimi, my love, you and I will finish our reunion later. I'll be looking forward to it."

He laughed loudly again as he walked towards the elevator. Mimiki heard Marik's voice call her name over and over; _"Mimi, Mimi, Mimi."_ She started to cry harder as her heart broke into a million pieces. She wasn't prepared for this. Who would've thought that their long awaited reunion would turn out like this?


	7. Tortured Souls Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:  
> 'text' - thoughts  
> "text" - talking via mind link

Kakayu called for a doctor and medical technician to retrieve Odion. The bulky Egyptian man proved a bit heavier than they thought, so Joey, Tristan and Duke helped carry him down to his room. They finally laid him out on the bed to make him comfortable and prepared him for medical testing. After completing some basic tests, everyone stood in the middle of the room and wondered about his condition.

"How is he, doc?" Joey asked. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"He's fine. His heart rate is steady. His tests were fine." the doctor replied. "He's suffering from mental stress, along with physical damage due to the lightning strike. He'll still be unconscious for a while. I'm going to conduct one more test before I leave. I'll be asking you all to leave soon."

Everyone sighed. "At least he's okay." Tea said. "So many people have been hurt in this tournament."

 _'I hate to think about this, but it almost makes you wonder, who's next?'_ she thought.

Everyone gravely remembered how Bakura fell, and now Odion. Joey continued to stare at Odion in deep thought.

"You have a good point...I was there when his Egyptian god monster went crazy...and I'm fine..." he muttered with a balled fist. "I'm pissed for him, ya know? He dueled on behalf of that bastard Marik! Look at him! Now he's lying in a hospital bed and Marik doesn't give a fuck about him! He's a piece of shit!"

"What did you expect for Marik to do, send some flowers?" Mai asked.

His words fell on everyone's ears and broke Mimiki's heart. She stared at Odion, standing in the background from everyone near the door. She was relieved that he was okay, but seeing him in his comatose state made her remember the events up until now. Joey's words didn't make her feel any better and she started to get teary eyed again. _'Marik is not a piece of shit…he's not!'_

The room was filled with the sounds of medical equipment and awkward silence.

"I guess that we won't really know who this guy is until he wakes up." Duke said, breaking the silence. Yami's eyes narrowed a bit as he continued to stare at Odion.

"Yes and no, Duke." he replied. "We know one thing was certain; he was determined to protect Marik as long as he could."

Everyone nodded in agreement before he continued. "When Joey and I were on the dueling deck with him, he talked with Mimiki. They had a connection. The way they spoke and treated each other proved that they knew each other. I'm sure that she can explain everything." he said.

"Oh yeah…" they said lowly. "Everything had been so crazy up until now, it had slipped my mind!" Tea said.

"You said it! Everything has been like a hurricane!" Tristan said.

Everyone agreed and was anxious to hear what Mimiki was going to say. Yami started to turn towards Mimiki.

"Mimiki, why don't you explain—"

Mimiki was gone.

"When did she leave?" Tristan asked. "She sure was quiet!"

Kakayu's eyes burned into the area where Mimiki was standing earlier. She balled her fists and growled.

_______________________

Mimiki had quietly excused herself from the room minutes earlier and retreated towards her room across the hall.

When she entered her room, the door slid shut behind her. She couldn't help but stare at the floor and didn't bother to turn the lights on or to lock the door. She looked to the seat that her and Marik had sat together just a short time ago. Her emotions slapped her silly. Regret, confusion, heartbreak, fear and anger all stabbed her soul. She started to feel sick. The room was spinning, time seemed to slow down, she felt hot and nauseated. The tears started falling as she cupped her face. She tried to make sense of what happened. To her, it all happened so fast. Her knees collapsed and her back slid down the door as she continued to cry. Nothing made sense.

_'You were just here with me...we were finally together...what has become of this...of you? It's like you've died!'_

Soon there was a knock at the door. Mimiki gasped and quickly jumped up. She ran into the bathroom to try to make herself presentable and to prepare for the judgement of a lifetime. She felt like none of her words would make them understand. And where was Ishizu when she needed her? She started to cry again. The hot, salty tears were quickly washed away as she splashed some cold water on her face, hoping to hide her sorrow despite her red eyes.

"Mimi? Are you in there? I'm coming in." Kakayu stated.

When Kakayu walked in, Mimiki had dried her hands and face. When she exited the bathroom, their eyes met and Mimiki tried to put on a smile.

"Kai! What are you doing in here? I thought that you were with the others in Odion's room."

Kakayu walked up to her cousin with a pensive expression.

"The doctor asked us to leave while he conducted one more exam on Odion." she replied as she crossed her arms. Mimiki tried to ignore her body language and continued to make small talk.

"Oh, well that's understandable. He did take a rather large lightning bolt to the head. I'm sure that they can handle his condition." she replied quietly.

Kakayu continued to give Mimiki a mixed expression of worry and anger. Mimiki started to feel uncomfortable and decided to speak.

"What's wrong, Kai? I can imagine that you're stressed out from all that's happened so far, you know...with Bakura, which I'm totally sorry for! I didn't mean to bang him up so badly and now Odion and—"

"Enough of the idle chit chat, Mimiki!" she said harshly. Hearing her full name made her cringe a bit and became defensive. Her negative feelings started to rise to the surface again.

"What do you want me to say, Kakayu?!" she spat back.

"Mimiki, you've been hiding this, not just from me, but all of us!" she yelled. "You used to tell me everything; we tell each other everything!" she stressed. "Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you tell us?!" she asked sadly. "We could've helped you and figured it out together!"

Hearing her words felt like she was being stabbed in her chest. Mimiki started to feel depressed and wanted to cry again, but she held back her tears. She had enough of feeling like this. These last few days felt like hell to her.

"Kakayu, I can't tell you everything yet...and to be perfectly honest, there's some things that even I don't completely understand yet either…"

She didn't like the look of hurt that was plastered on her cousin's face. _'Great…'_ Mimiki thought sadly.

"And why not, Mimiki?!"

"Because I was asked to keep all of this a secret!" she yelled with tears in her eyes. "They asked me to keep this between us...they said that they would help me when you all would find out who Marik really was...and now I don't have any help…" she cried.

"My best friend is gone...the man I love is gone...and there's nothing I can do about it…" she cried. Tears started falling faster and she started to sob loudly. "This wasn't supposed to happen! Marik! Marik…!"

Kakayu's glare softened a bit. She was angry and felt betrayed, but she knew Mimiki's feelings about Marik better than anyone else on that airship. She started feeling bad for her cousin and she hugged her tightly. She couldn't imagine being in her shoes right now and tried to calm her down.

"Shh...everything will be alright, Mimi."

As much as she wanted to believe her words, it felt far from the truth. Her world was dark.

_________________________________________

Simultaneously in room 5, Yami Marik looked into the bathroom mirror, elated that he now had full control of his weaker half's body. He had to give credit to Marik; he kept his body is very good condition. He wouldn't have any problems carrying out all of his plans. One thing that he wasn't fond of was his weaker side's taste in clothing. He decided that it was time for a change. He walked back into the bedroom, pulled out a small duffel bag and peeled the lavender hoodie from his body, revealing the black muscle shirt that was under it. He pulled out a dark violet cape and a pair of khaki pants. He quickly changed his pants and wrapped the cape around his muscular body, unaware that something had fallen from it. He felt better in his new outfit. It would definitely rub the others the wrong way and send shivers up their spines. The cape would also protect him from the cold winds if he was to duel tonight.

After stuffing the old clothing back into the bag, he turned for the door, but something crunched underneath his shoe. He picked up the crumbled picture and looked at the two young teens with an evil smirk, licking his lips. Not only was the pharaoh on the ship for him to kill off, he also had a precious plaything he could toss around for his own pleasure. His good side loved her greatly and wouldn't let any harm come to her, but that love wouldn't stop him from having his way with her.

He tossed the picture onto the bed and grabbed his millennium rod and duel disk. Before he finished his reunion with the beloved Mimiki, someone else had to be dealt with first. With that, he left the room to pay a visit to his dear brother.

___________________________________________

The hallway was now quiet. Yami Marik had waited a bit before exiting his room earlier. He had overheard Tea screaming at Joey for being a jerk towards someone. Shortly afterwards, the parade of footsteps had finally died and now one seemed to be around. _'Perfect.'_

He walked down to Odion's room and was met with the doctor leaving the room, locking the door behind him. The doctor turned around to meet Yami Marik's eyes and evil smile.

"I'll take that key, if you don't mind."

The doctor's eyes went blank and he handed him his key card and sent him on his way. The door slid open, giving him access to the darkened room. He walked over the the Egyptian, who was now sleeping soundly. Yami Marik pulled the sheath from the bottom of the rod, revealing its sharp six inch dagger. He lowered it until it was an inch away from Odion's eyes.

"Time to say goodbye forever, Odion. We can't have you waking up and contain me again, now can we?" he asked with a toothy grin. "Go to hell and when you get there, tell my father that I can't thank him enough for creating me!"

He raised his hand to swing death's gavel upon Odion until a voice interrupted him. Yami Marik turned to the television that was broadcasting the round picks.

"And the second duelist is number 5, Marik Ishtar! Both duelists, report to the dueling deck immediately!" Roland announced.

He glared at the screen with a low growl and looked back at Odion. "It seems like dumb luck has spared you from death. Don't you worry, I'll be back to send you on your way." he promised. _'Along with everyone else…'_

With that, he headed for the Stratos Deck. Hell's gate was open...and he planned on making sure that many people were going to succumb to its fiery shadows.

Mai stood upon the dueling platform and adjusted her glovette, anxious to get the duel started. She needed to work off her anger from Joey's ill-picked words from earlier. 'Little boys are stupid!' she thought.

Kaiba stood with Kakayu, Mokuba and Mimiki, who now had her hood covering her head and crossed her arms. Kaiba tapped his finger on his crossed arm impatiently.

"Where the hell is Marik?! The announcement was broadcasted in every room! We've been waiting for ten minutes!" he complained.

Everyone else wondered the same thing. Kaiba only cared about seeing Ra in action. Kakayu was itching to see how the maniac dueled. Finally a familiar "ding" echoed around the viewing area. Everyone looked to the elevator to see Marik strut his way in, chuckling lowly as he made his way to his side of the platform. Mai glared at him.

_'Oh great...here comes the freak show…'_

She crossed her arms. "It's about time! Don't you know it's rude to keep a lady waiting?!"

Yami Marik's smile didn't falter. "Don't worry. This won't take too long."

"You got that right!" she replied. _'I'll win this duel and take this loser asshole's Egyptian god card. Then it'll be time to be crowned the queen of this tournament!'_

Yami Marik took a glance at the audience. The usual gang was nowhere to be found. Then he looked to his left and smirked at Mimiki. She gasped and looked away from his gaze and he was met with an angry one from Kakayu. The look of heartbreak didn't escape his blank eyes.

_'Good...her spirit is broken…she'll be easier to deal with now.'_

Mai looked over to see who he was staring at. Her brows furrowed more when her eyes met Mimiki's back.

_'I still don't understand how she could be associated with him...she's too damn sweet to deal with a douchebag like him! And she's lost her fire! Did he really mean that much to her?'_

Mai tossed that out of her mind when the platform was raised. "The duel between Mai Valentine and Marik Ishtar is about to begin!" Roland declared. Right before they began, Yugi and the others exited the elevator.

"Sweet! We made it just in time!" Tristan exclaimed.

"We would've been here earlier if someone didn't hafta to go to the bathroom!" Joey complained.

"You can't argue with mother nature, Joey! We got here, didn't we?!" Tristan replied.

"Next time, you're goin to use the one in Yug's room!" the blonde replied.

Yami Marik noted their presence and continued to look at Mimiki, giving her an evil smirk.

"Wish me luck, my love. I'll make sure that this doesn't take long. After all, you and I have some business to finish Mimi…"

Mimiki's head quickly snapped back at him, her eyes filled with rage with a matching scowl.

"Don't you fucking call me that!" she snapped. Everyone jumped at her outburst, even Kakayu. Mimiki was never the one to use that level of vulgar language.

"I don't fucking belong to you! And you're not Marik so don't act like him you sick bastard!" she yelled.

__________________________________

Somewhere, Marik groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred. He struggled to get up and forced himself to stand. He rubbed his aching head.

'What happened? Did I pass out?' he thought. "Mimi?" he called out, but he didn't get a response.

After his vision cleared, his eyes widened. He thought he'd be tucked away in his room, but where he was at was a far cry from his room. A dark purple and black shadowy mist covered part of his legs. He looked around to find nothing but a dark abyss. There was no light and no hope, just a damning darkness.

_'Where am I?!'_

He ran around, only to hear his footsteps echoing loudly against the floor. After running for what seemed like an eternity, he stopped and panted.

"Odion!" he called out. "Mimi!"

He only heard his voice echoing now. Fear started to grip his soul. "Odion! Mimiki! Please answer me!" he pleaded. "This isn't funny!"

Again, no answer was given to him. His eyes shrunk in fear. He hadn't felt like this before, and the level of loneliness that was starting to sink in was something he had hoped to never feel again. He hadn't felt like this in a long time, but he couldn't give up hope.

"Mi—"

 _"Don't you fucking call me that!"_ he heard her voice spat with venom, which made him jump back in shock.

"Mimiki?! What are you talking about?! Where are you?!" he asked, his head darting around in all directions.

_"I don't fucking belong to you! And you're not Marik so don't act like him you sick bastard!"_

Her words felt like a thousand knives had stabbed his heart.

"What are you...talking about? I' am Marik! I'm here, Mimi!" he replied.

Suddenly, an image began to appear before him. He could see everything; the Stratos Deck, the moon and the stars, Yugi and his friends and Mimiki looking at him with a burning rage from hell.

Yami Marik retained his smirk and wagged his finger at her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mimi. It's not ladylike to speak in such a manner to your boyfriend."

Marik heard what his voice said, but it didn't sound like his voice. It was laced evil. He started to go a little crazy because he knew that he didn't say those words.

Everyone had turned their attention to the two, Yami Marik's words not helping Mimiki's situation at all. Mimiki felt her soul burn when she took a glance at their faces; they were mixed with betrayal, hurt and confusion. Her eyes started to burn from another threat of tears. She started to breathe a little heavier and her chest started to feel heavy.

"You're not my boyfriend!" she replied with a loud, cracked voice. "You never were!"

"I'm hurt that you would say such a thing, Mimi. I thought that you cared about me."

"I've never cared about you!" she replied sharply.

Marik's heart broke at hearing her words and his dark side could feel his pain. His soul felt heavy. Yami Marik looked inside his mind to see Marik's broken soul, on his knees questioning what he heard.

_'It seems like he finally awakened...he doesn't know what's going on...perfect!'_

Before Yami Marik could add more fuel to the fire, he was cut off by Kaiba. "Enough with your lover's quarrel!" he barked. "Settle your grievance later! We've been waiting for the duel to start for fifteen minutes! Duel now or step down!" he demanded.

Mimiki huffed and turned away, pulling her hood down further and gripping the fabric tightly.

"Don't get your panties all knotted up like a little bitch, Kaiba." Yami Marik replied. "Don't worry, you'll get your show."

Kaiba growled at him crossly. Kakayu grew worried for Mimiki and Kaiba, and she placed her hand on his towering shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you too, Kaiba." she advised. "It's your tournament. Don't let his words ruin your good time, especially when we might be able to see his Egyptian god card in action."

Kaiba's face loosened a bit, which she was happy for, but she couldn't say the same for Mimiki. She wished that her cousin would heed the same advice.

Roland looked over to Kaiba and he nodded in confirmation. "The third round of the Battle City Semi Finals, Mai Valentine vs Marik Ishtar is about to begin!" he announced. The platform rose again and the familiar hum of the hologram technology accompanied it.

"Duelists, please shuffle your opponent's deck." Roland commanded.

After shuffling, the two took their places and began to duel. "I'll go first!" Mai said. "I play Dunames Dark Witch (1800/1050) in attack mode!"

A young woman with short purple hair appeared wearing a red and white mechanical themed dress with white elbow length gloves and knee high boots. Her matching white wings displayed her power.

"I end my turn."

Yami Marik smiled and drew a card. "I play Revival Jam (1500/500) in defense mode."

The blue, ghostly looking jam creature appeared and floated about its card. "Next I'll play the magic card Jam Breeding Machine, which will create one Slime Token each turn." he explained. The familiar brown and yellow dome machine appeared. It released steam and shuffled around before spitting out a Slime Token. The miniature ghost shot an evil look at Mai.

"I would advise that you'd better find a way to attack before my tokens outnumber you. Then it'll be too late."

Yami frowned. Seeing the tokens reminded him of his duel with Strings by the river. He would've never won that duel if it wasn't for Kaiba's harsh, yet encouraging words. The spirit glanced at the young CEO

"He's right, Mai!" he warned. "Be careful!"

Joey nodded in agreement. "Yeah! But I know that you'll be able to beat'em, Mai! Crack his head open! I'm rooting for ya!"

Mimiki winced at his words and Mai scoffed. "Thanks for the warning, Yugi." she replied before looking back at Yami Marik.

Joey was surprised that she didn't acknowledge his encouragement. "What…?" he asked. "Is she ignoring me?"

Neglectful of his words, Mai focused her attention on her duel. 'I don't need nor want your help, Joey!'

The duel continued on for ten more minutes. Mai had managed to lower Yami Marik's life points to 2550, while hers remained untouched. Once again, Joey tried to give her words of encouragement and praise, and was still ignored. Mimiki looked up at the two in an unreadable daze. Her hood was still covering her head and she propped one elbow in her hand, her raised fist was covering her mouth.

 _'She's shooting him down and it reminds me of how I used to duel Marik…I used to take huge chunks of his life points when I was teaching him how to play. He was pretty hopeless at first, but he got the hang of it...'_ she thought. A shiver crawled up her spine, along with another feeling of despair.

_'I won most of the time and he played in a gentle, yet valiant manner...but I know that it's not going to end that way...especially if he somehow summons Ra…be careful Mai!'_

Yami Marik chuckled at the spectacle before him and decided to take advantage of Mai's negative mood. Right now, he had control over her Dark Witch.

"Enough of this! Practice time is over!" he said.

Everyone tuned in to see what his words meant. He chuckled as he raised his rod above his head. Suddenly a dark purple and black abyss of shadows surrounded the top of the blimp. The air became colder than before, gaining a gasp from the audience. Mai's head darted around in every direction, fear striking her the more the shadows set in.

"What's this?!" she asked. "What's going on, Marik?!"

Her answer was delivered with an evil chuckle. Yami glared at the Egyptian in fury.

"I've grown bored with our duel, so I decided to spice things up. I've taken this duel to the Shadow Realm!"

Everyone shivered upon hearing those words, their memories from Duelist Kingdom resurfacing in their minds. Duke was the only one on Yugi's side that wasn't impacted by the sight of the shadows.

"This isn't any ordinary fog…" he commented.

"It's just as I feared…" Yami muttered. "End this now Marik!" he demanded

"Shut up, pharaoh!" he yelled. "The shadows are hungry and they must be fed!" The Egyptian looked towards his opponent. "If you want to continue this duel, you'll do it in my world!"

Mai stiffened a bit. The shadows scared her, but she didn't want to show her fear, especially in front of Joey. Yami turned to her, hoping that she would listen to him.

"Mai! End the duel now! There's more at stake here than you think! If you lose, you'll die!" he pleaded.

 _'Die?!'_ she thought as her heart beat rapidly, eyes blank. Fear struck her once again and she tried to hide it, but it didn't slip past Yami Marik. Mai slipped back into reality and found her voice again.

"I think that you both have lost your minds! I entered this tournament to duel and that's exactly what I'm doing! I came here to win!" she declared. "Now if you two don't mind, I'd like to continue this duel and move on to the finals!"

Everyone's heart shook with disappointment. Mimiki shot another look of worry to the blonde woman.

 _'She's the only one here besides Duke and Serenity that hasn't experienced the power of this dark magic...she doesn't understand what she's gotten herself into!'_ she thought. Yami Marik smiled at Mimiki without her noticing.

"That's Mai for you." Joey said. "Once she's made up her mind, there's no way to make her change it!" he said in an annoyed tone with his arms crossed, his attitude flaring up from her ignoring him the last time.

"I didn't ask for your commentary, Joseph!" she replied with a snarl.

"Wha?! JOSEPH?! I'M JOSEPH NOW?!"

"Hmph!" she replied.

"I don't know why you're mad, Joey. You totally deserve it after what you said to her." Tea said, a little annoyed.

"You're not helpin at all, Tea!" he growled back.

Mai drew a card. "I summon the Unfriendly Amazon (2000/1000) in attack mode!"

A tall fair skinned woman with a long braid wearing a costume mix of a warrior and ninja appeared on the field. She held her mighty sword, ready to attack. Suddenly, the monster started to glow purple, much to everyone's surprise. Her controlled Dark Witch did the same.

"Why is my monster glowing purple?!" the blonde asked.

Yami Marik chuckled, making everyone focus their attention on him. "Allow me to explain the terms that I've set up for this duel. According to my dear Mimi, you've never experienced this dark magic of the shadows. She was right to say that you don't understand what you've gotten yourself into!"

Everyone looked at Mimiki as she gasped. "...You read my mind?!"

He snickered at her again. "Don't forget that you and I are connected via mind link, my dear. We've been doing that since we finished dinner...or did you forget?"

Mimiki balled her fists hard enough to turn her skin white. She was filled with anger from him reading her mind and exposing another secret without her having a chance to explain herself.

"This this true, Mimi?" Kakayu asked sadly.

She lowered her head and shook it in conformance. She could feel everyone's stare on her and started to shake, her breathing became heavy and fast again. A single tear fell from her eye. Kakayu quickly hugged her in an attempt to calm her.

"Don't let him get to you, Mimi!" Kakayu pleaded. "He's done enough to you already!"

"She's wrong...I haven't done enough to you yet, Mimi! I can't wait to finish the rest of our reunion…"

"GET OUT!" she screamed. Everyone jumped back and watched the two. It was silent for a moment.

"As you wish, my princess."

Mimiki sobbed as quietly as she could and looked away. She heard it from his evil voice, but she desperately wished that it was her Marik saying that again, just like he did before her duel. Yami Marik turned back to Mai.

"The glow around your monster represents your mind. If the glow goes out, so will part of your mind."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If I destroy your monsters, part of your mind will go with it! The ante is your memories...and let's not forget your sanity! It's the same for the both of us!" Everyone gasped and she shook a bit at the thought of losing her mind. He laughed evilly as a part of his face distorted itself. "Oh how I love watching someone experience the Shadow Realm for the first time!"

Mai growled at him and glanced at everyone else, who was scared for her. _'This guy is fucking nuts! And everyone else is too for believing him! This talk can't get me distracted. I'm going to win this duel and everything will be fine!'_

"Unfriendly Amazon! Destroy his Dark Witch!" she commanded. The amazon leaped across the field and destroyed the witch by beheading her, lowering Yami Marik's life points to 2350.

"You made an unfortunate decision, my dear. Since that was originally your monster, part of your memory shall be erased."

"Marik's out of his mind!" Joey commented.

For the first time that duel, Mai agreed with Joey. "I don't believe you! You can't erase my memory!" she said.

"Wanna bet?"

Suddenly, a giant duel monsters card appeared on the field, spinning rapidly. "I can use the power of my millennium rod to look into your mind. I can see your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams...and even your fears! Your biggest fear is losing your friends and being alone in this dark, ugly world!"

Mai gasped and he smiled. "Seems like I hit the nail on the head. This card represents your memory. Let's see what it reveals!"

He waved his hand and the card stopped immediately. Tea's picture was on it. "Say goodbye to Tea!" The card glowed and shattered into tiny pieces, disappearing from their sight.

"Now try to picture Tea in your mind." he commanded. Mai hesitated for a minute, but did what she was told.

"Tea? Who's Tea?" she thought. Nothing came to mind but a silhouette of the young teenage girl whose face she could no longer see. Mai's eyes widened as she realized that his words were true.

"I see that you're convinced. But don't worry—you're only losing Tea for now."

Everyone turned to Mai, who was still looking stunned.

"She looks like she's in a daze…" Tristan said.

"Mai! It's okay! Do your best!" Tea called out. Mai looked towards them. She could see everyone but Tea. She could hear the forgotten girls' muffled voice. _'Whose voice is that? Where is it coming from?'_

"She's not answering me…" Tea said, which resulted in a growl from Yami.

"He really did erase part of her memory! Tea doesn't exist in her memory anymore!" Yugi said to the spirit of the responded with a frown.

"You better cherish your memories while you still can because soon you'll forget everyone you've ever known!"

He drew one card and played one face down. "Now I play Makyura the Destructor (1600/1200)." A tall man covered in dark purple and gold armor appeared on the field. His hands were covered in huge metal claws that extended past his knees.

"Then I place my face down card, Black Pendant. It raises its attack by 500 points." he explained. Now his monster had 2100 attack points. "Attack her monster!"

The armor clad monster lunged at the Unfriendly Amazon, but Mai activated her trap card, Amazoness Archers. Five amazon women appeared and shot Makyura with five arrows. The arrows reduced Makyura's attack points by 500, reverting it back to 1600. Mai quickly made her Unfriendly Amazon attack Makyura to destroy him. The amazon beheaded the monster and much to her horror, Marik's head fell to the ground. His body still stood upright.

Mai screamed, jumped back and covered her mouth. She felt like she was going to vomit. His body picked up his head and placed it back on his body.

Everyone looked at her to see why she was screaming. From their vantage point, it was just a normal looking duel. Yami stiffened. _'She's seeing illusions right now!'_

"It's just a horrible illusion Mai! Don't let it scare you!" Yami shouted.

Mai calmed down a bit and tried to focus. "Now that I've destroyed one of your monsters, your memory will be erased too!"

Yami Marik chuckled again. "There's no one that I really want to remember. I enjoy the darkness and loneliness."

Another card appeared and spun on the field for a moment before it stopped. A Rare Hunter, Strings, appeared.

"Hmph...it's better that I forgot about him. He failed me, after all."

His old minion had vanished. The duel continued on and the two duelists kept throws blows at one another. Yami Marik continued to use torture style cards to destroy her monsters, while Mai put her hopes into her all female deck. Everyone watched intensely as the two lost their memories of the people from their past; Yami Marik had forgotten about Arcana. He destroyed another one of her monsters. The infamous card appeared again and it was Joey. Her eyes widened as his silhouette appeared before her. It winked and smiled at her. All of her angry feelings that she had towards him had died. She regretted not talking to him. The silhouette began to glow and fade away. She reached out to him, tears gathering in her eyes.

"NO! Joey! Please don't go!" she pleaded.

The silhouette slowly shattered into tiny pieces. Her eyes went blank when she thought back to her childhood.

 _'My parents died when I was young...I lived with other relatives, but it didn't make me feel any better. I was without a mother who would nurture me and show me the beauty in life and with no father to protect me, I was still alone…'_ she thought. Then her mind raced back to when she got her first job on a cruise liner casino.

_'Even after my first job playing Duel Monsters on that ship, I was a grown woman, but I was still a lonely kid on the inside. All I wanted was a genuine friend…'_

A tear slid down her cheek.

_'My Harpie Lady cards were the closest thing I had to friends. They were strong with their weapons and armor, beautiful and fierce. I conformed to that image and decided that was how I was going to live. I had to keep my heart and loneliness hidden. No one would hurt me if I did. I was meant to be alone...until I met Yugi and the others on the way to Duelist Kingdom.'_

A small smile grew on her face as she pictured everyone. They were all excited and determined about the tournament. They laughed with each other, cried with each other and fought for each other. Their bonds were tight.

_'Sure, they were a little weird, but they were nice weirdoes. Sooner than later, I found that my loneliness had disappeared. The bond they shared was something that was so foreign to me...I never thought that I would feel that way before! When I got to know them, especially Joey, I felt like that I could start trusting people...they even fought for me as if we had been friends forever!'_

Her mind quickly came back to reality and her eyes snapped open. Shards to Joey were starting to fade. _'Now I'm losing the only real friends I've ever had!'_

Her loneliness that she thought had disappeared burst from its confinement in her heart. She felt like the lonely kids she remembered. Joey finally left her mind and she fell to her knees in a blank daze.

"Mai!" everyone cried.

"Please get up, Mai!" Tea pleaded.

"Mai!" Joey cried. "What's wrong?! Get up!"

The blonde remained on her knees and didn't respond. Joey's anger rose again and he turned to Yami. "Yug! She's still ignorin me! What the hell?!"

Yami shook his head gravely. "That's not the case, Joey. She's not ignoring you at all. The Shadow Game has unfortunately made her forget who you are."

"Wha…?!" he asked. "No! I don't believe that! She could never forget us!" He looked back at Mai and his fury rose again. "Mai! It's okay! We're here for you! Get up, Mai!"

With still no response from her, Yami decided to step in. _'That's enough! I'm ending this right here! If Marik is going to abuse the powers of his rod, then I'm using mine to aid Mai!'_

The millennium eye appeared on his forehead and glowed with an intense light. He transported a piece soul inside of the shadows of Mai's mind. She was trapped in a dark green and black abyss, wandering around slowly with her arms out. At times, she tripped and fell. She got up again, but still remained lost. Yami Marik stood off to the side with his arms crossed, amused. His smile turned into a frown when Yami's power entered the shadows. The light behind the pharaoh was almost blinding.

"Mai!" his deep voice boomed. "Can you hear me?"

Mai stopped and turned to the light, shielding her eyes with her arm. "Yugi? Is that you?" she asked softly. "What are you doing here?"

 _'That's what I'd like to know! Damn that pharaoh!'_ Yami Marik thought with a heavy scowl.

"Don't let Marik's illusions distract and consume you!" he warned. "You must win this duel and return to the life you know and love."

Mai frowned in doubt. "I don't think that I can, Yugi...everything is so hard...everything's falling apart!"

Yami shook his head in disagreement. "No, you can do it Mai! Fight! You must fight! Believe in yourself!" he urged.

All three of them were silent for a moment.

"Mai! Get up! I know that you can beat'em Mai!" a voice cried. It was faint. More voices started to call out to her. With every plea, the voices shined momentarily in her mind. She became glassy eyed and Yami Marik scowled even more.

"Whose voice is that?" she asked.

"Those voices are your friends. They're cheering you on, Mai. They believe in you, as you should believe in yourself." he said with a strong smile. "We'll always be here for you, no matter how dark the world is."

Mai cried and wiped her tears away with a small, yet happy smile. _'Maybe...I'm not so alone after all…'_

Yami Marik balled his fists tightly and gnashed his teeth. "You're going to pay for interfering with my Shadow Game, pharaoh!"

Yami turned to the Egyptian and flashed a valiant smile. "I welcome the challenge."

Yami Marik growled and Yami faded away. Everyone cheered as Mai stood up with resolve in her eyes. She shot a strong glare at the tomb keeper, who was still reeling about Yami's interference.

"Your mind games stop here!" she declared. "I'm not afraid of your tricks!"

"Whatever you say. As far as I'm concerned, your words are empty. This duel is still going on! I still have enough time to make you lose your mind!"

"Whatever! It's my turn!" Before she drew a card, she glanced at everyone, giving them a grateful smile. _'Thank you, everyone!'_

Mai summoned Amazoness Chain Master (1500/1300). A tall, strong muscular woman with tan skin and long black hair tied into a ponytail appeared on the field. She donned a blue dress with black stripes and held a long chain with a sharp three pronged ball at the end. Then she placed another card face down and ended her turn.

Yami Marik retaliated by summoning a card named Holding Arms. The Millennium Eye shackles grabbed the Amazoness's wrists and held her in the air. It prevented Mai from attacking for three turns. Holding Arms also had another effect; it electrocuted her monster. Mai looked up angrily as the monster screamed, but she wasn't going to let Yami Marik have his way.

Everyone cringed as the screams and Yami glared at Yami Marik again.

"Enough with the tricks and just duel, Marik!" he demanded.

"Shut up! This is how I duel!" he replied. "Duel Monsters and the Shadow Realm has always been intertwined, so I'm just playing the game as it was originally intended! Unfortunately for the girl, fate has selected her to be the victim of today's game! Lucky her!" he said with an evil smile.

"You're insane!" he yelled.

 _'Insane is an understatement…'_ Mimiki thought.

Yami Marik scoffed. "Oh please! Don't act like you don't use millennium magic when you duel!"

"Yes, I do. But I don't abuse it like you're doing! You're playing with hell, Marik! End this meaningless duel!"

"Sorry! Too late!" he said before he released a loud cackle.

Yami growled and balled his fist. "Bastard…"

"Come on! This is fun! Live a little!"

His words didn't settle with Yami. Then he turned to Mimiki, who was watching with disgust. "Isn't that right, Mimi?"

Mimiki jumped and looked at him. "Huh?"

"Doesn't this bring back memories? When you were teaching me how to play Duel Monsters, you always had your way of torturing me and leading me into a false sense of hope of winning! I knew back then that we were meant for each other." he said.

"The Marik that I played with back then wasn't you!" she spat.

"Yes it was! You always have accept the good and bad with everyone, Mimi. This is what you got!"

Mimiki growled and looked away. She didn't want to see everyone eyes staring at her, but she could feel their eyes drilling into her again. He laughed again before turning back to Yami.

"Don't worry. We'll have our millennium duel soon. There I will show you how terrifying a thousand years of anger feels like! You will pay!"

"We'll see about that!" he replied.

Mai turned to Yugi. "Yugi, I appreciate you trying to help, but I'm the one dueling. I can defend myself. I have to fight! I will win!"

Yami Marik laughed again. "Are you so sure? Once I wipe your mind, you'll be taking a nice, long nap!"

Joey placed a hand on Yami's shoulder. "What the hell did he mean by that?! She's seriously not going to continue to duel, is she?!"

"It's a Shadow Game, Joey. Anything can happen. Besides, she's made her decision."

The duel continued on and Mai used a magic card, Grave Arm, which can destroy one monster on the field. She used it on her monster instead, leaving her mind untouched. Because she was going to the graveyard, Amazoness Chain Master's special ability activated.

"At the cost of 1000 life points, I can take one card from your deck!" she announced. "And I choose your Egyptian god card!"

Everyone cheered, especially Joey. "Yeah Mai! Get'em!"

"You may have the card for now, but the only way you'll keep it is by defeating me!"

Mai winked at him. "Don't worry, I plan to, but I think that I'm going to take it for a little test drive first!"

Kaiba pondered at the situation. _'What an interesting turn of events! Is she good enough to wield such a powerful card?'_

Mimiki sighed in relief. _'Taking his god card was a good move. He can't use it against her. Hopefully she'll be able to summon it and beat him...although I was hoping to do it. This is partially my fault and I should've been the one to duel him!'_

Yami Marik glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

_'That's what you think, Mimi...she's an idiot if she thinks that she can summon Ra. It's the most powerful card! I don't think so!'_

The duel continued as kept summoning more Amazon monsters and Yami Marik relied on Makyura. She used magic cards to counter Marik's attacks, destroying Makyura. The memory card appeared again, and Lumis was erased from his mind. He continued to use more torture style cards against Mai, trapping her monster with Nightmare Wheel. She saved herself with a trap card, Dramatic Rescue, and sacrificed her monster to summon one of her signature cards, Cyber Harpie Lady (1800/1300). Next, she used Elegant Egotist to multiply the harpie. Two more identical monsters appeared beside her.

"Now I'll crush you, Marik!" she announced. "I sacrifice my harpies to summon Winged Dragon of Ra!"

She slammed the card onto the duel disk. A bright light gathered in the sky, brightening the area. Everyone stared in anticipation. Kaiba was the most excited; he held a giant grin on his face. _'Finally! Geez!'_ he thought.

 _'She's still an idiot…she'll never be able to control an Egyptian god! It'll control her!'_ Yami Marik thought.

The light died down and all that remained was golden sphere. Everyone's eyes widened and gasps could be heard.

"What's is that thing?!" Mai asked.

Yami Marik grinned and crossed his arms. "Winged Dragon of Ra is locked within the sphere."

"...Then how am I supposed to use it…?" she asked.

He laughed again. "Hmm...I don't know...now that you've stolen it from me, why don't you try to use it against me?"

Mai only stared at it. 'Is this really the Winged Dragon of Ra?'

Everyone wondered along with her. After seeing Ra's light, it reminded Mimiki of what Marik said to her on her thirteenth birthday; _"may you shine like Ra."_

"That's really it...it's the Winged Dragon of Ra…" Mimiki muttered. Kakayu turned to her. "I felt it's power from the light...she has to unlock it in order to use it…and fast!"

Kaiba nodded and agreed. "I can feel it too! It's quiet, yet powerful."

Yami Marik laughed again. "The only one in this duel that can use Ra is me!"

Kaiba grinned. 'And soon I'll learn to control it!'

"The only person chosen by the god can use the card!"

"That's a load of bull!" Mai replied. "A card belongs to whoever has it!"

"That's true for most cards, but Ra also requires that someone with knowledge of the ancient scriptures can wield its power!"

Mimiki thought back to her time in Egypt. _'Those scriptures…Marik told me about them...along with teaching me Arabic, he also taught me how to read some of those.'_

"So why don't you try to read the ancient chant? Maybe then you can use Ra's real power to defeat me."

 _'Real power?'_ everyone thought.

 _'What?!'_ Mai looked down and her eyes went blank. At the bottom of the card, an unknown alien looking language had appeared. Time seemed to slow down. _'What the hell is that?! Where did it come from?! It wasn't there when I played it!'_ she panicked. _'I can't read it!'_

He grinned at her despair.

"Come on! I'm waiting! If you can't recite it, I'll do it and I'll control my dragon again!"

Mai growled and played a card face down. As everyone watched, Mokuba turned to his brother.

"What do you think that the card says brother?"

Kaiba, whose arms were still crossed, stared intensely at the dragon. "I'm not sure, but hurry up and go to the control room! Use the satellite network to take a picture of the card before the duel is over! Start translating it! I must know Ra's secret!"

"Roger that!" he saluted before leaving.

Yami Marik was growing bored of waiting for a response from Mai. "You can stare at the card all you want, but it's written in hieratic text!"

 _'Hieratic text?!'_ everyone thought.

"Yes... It's written in a special form of hieroglyphics used by high-ranking individuals in Egypt." he explained. "My family guards the pharaoh's tomb, so they can read it."

Then he turned to Kaiba. "Kaiba, I bet that you can read it!"

Kaiba scoffed. "If it's what you're talking about, I can't read that junk!"

"Yes you can. Several people on this vessel can trace their history back to ancient Egypt. Back then, the power of the Shadows was everywhere. Pegasus didn't know how to decipher the ancient text, but he knew that the dragon would only obey those who chanted the words, so he printed them on the card in an ink that can only be seen when the monster is summoned."

Mai gasped. "So you knew all along that I wouldn't be able to use the card from the very beginning?!"

"Of course I did, you twat. Have you seen me panic at all since you took it from me? I knew that you wouldn't be able to read that text! Speaking of who else can read this..." he said looking at Mimiki again. "You can read it too, Mimi."

Everyone looked at her and she stiffened. 'I was hoping that he wouldn't say anything!'

"Yes everyone! I taught Mimi a couple of lessons in ancient Egyptian hieratic text. Isn't she talented?"

Mimiki felt like she was close to sinking into a black hole. _'He keeps making me look bad in front of everyone! How am I going to fix this?!'_

"Bad? That's nothing compared to about what I'm going to do!"

"Huh?" Suddenly her eyes were blank. She could see Mai as if they were face to face. "Now to help Ra make his debut, my dear Mimi is going to read the chant for me!" he announced.

"No!" she cried. "Don't want to do this! Please! Don't make me read it! You're going to hurt Mai! I don't want to hurt my friend! Please!" she pleaded.

"Request denied! Start reading!" he commanded. He raised the grip on her will power. She tried her best resist, but failed. _'I'm sorry Mai...everyone!'_

Tears ran down her cheek as the words started to flow from her lips.

"Great beast in the sky, please hear my cry! Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight!"

Ra's orb started to glow wildly and it slowly began to unlock itself.

"Envelop the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within, so that together we may win. Appear in this Shadow Game as I call you name, Winged Dragon of Ra!"

The almighty dragon emerged and roared before landing behind Yami Marik. Everyone grew worried for Mai, while Kaiba was too elated in seeing Ra for the first time. Yami Marik broke control of Mimiki's mind and she fell to the ground breathing heavily.

"Mimiki!" Kakayu cried.

"Thanks for doing all of the work!"

Now the dragon stood tall and strong with 5400 attack points.

"Unfortunately for you, you don't have any monsters to protect you! I could attack you right now, but what's the fun in that?"

He pulled another card. "I summon Holding Legs (800/600)! This card sends your magic and trap cards on the field back to your hand!"

Despair set in as her face down card, Gravity Bind, disappeared. _'I'm sunk!'_

"Now that Holding Legs and Holding Arms are on the field together, they call forth the Sacred Stone of Ota!" A huge stone tablet with ancient text rose up behind Mai.

"Attack her directly!" he commanded. The giant cuffs seized her wrists and ankles and thrusted her into the stone. They merged with the tablet and electrocuted her. She screamed in pain and everyone did the same. Her life points dropped to 800.

"Stop it Marik! Stop treating her like this!" Mimiki cried.

Her pleas were ignored, but the real Marik was screaming. "No! Stop!" he pleaded.

Her head hung limply. She could feel the energy leaving her body.

"Mai!" Joey shouted. "Are you okay?!"

 _'That voice...it sounds...familiar…'_ she thought. _'It's...comforting…'_

"Heh! Now you're all alone!"

"No she's not!" Yami cried. The millennium puzzle and the eye in his forehead began to glow again. Yami Marik quickly used his rod to stop Yami's magic.

"You're not interfering again! It's time to offer her to the shadows of hell!"

Everyone gasped. "If he attacks her, she will die!" Yami said.

"WHAT?!" everyone asked.

"True! And since she's handcuffed and can't move, she can't surrender! Judgment Day is upon her!" Yami Marik said with a cackle.

"Stop the duel! Your grudge is against me, not Mai!" Yami shouted.

"I agree, but I'm having a little fun right now! Piss off! You'll be joining her soon!"

 _'I'll use this woman as a Dark Offering and increase Yugi's hatred of me! That'll show him who's in control!'_ he thought.

"This is something he's been waiting for!" He closed his eyes and thought back to his childhood. "Ever since my family insisted that I bear the ancient scriptures on my back, they left and cursed me to carry the secret of the Pharaoh's power until his return. This burden has brought me nothing but suffering and despair. For generations, my family has waited hopelessly for the Pharaoh's return! Why should I serve the ancient pharaoh when I hold the key to the pharaoh's memories? He relies on me! Because of that damn initiation, the pain and mental damage it brought with it, a hatred and anger like no other dwelled within my host. I was born from that!"

Marik stood frozen in his mind, trying to comprehend the words that had been spoken. He remembered those days and the emotions ran high. It was overwhelming. _'I wanted to die that day...I was in so much pain! I felt so alone!'_

Back outside, Yami Marik continued to talk. "My host had created me so he could live and protect himself! Of course he wasn't aware of it. But now that Odion is gone, I can do whatever I want! All in all, I'm here, thanks to you pharaoh! Congratulations!"

 _'Ancient scriptures on his back…?'_ Mimiki thought.

 _'I must figure out the secret written on Marik's back!'_ Yami thought.

"What do you want, Marik?!" he shouted. "Is it the God cards, or something else?! Tell me!"

"I want to kill everyone! Destruction is the source of my happiness. I want to make the Dark World the real world. Hell on Earth, if you will!"

Before he could respond, Yami Marik held up his rod. "It's time to send her to hell!"

Suddenly Joey jumped on the platform to Roland. "Stop! You being up here any longer will disqualify you from the tournament!"

"You gotta stop this duel man!" he said.

"No!" he replied. "Leave or be disqualified!"

"I'm not leaving her! I will save her!"

Yami Marik flashed his toothy grin when he saw Joey struggling to free Mai from her chains. Mai couldn't see him, but she could feel his presence. "Mai! Don't worry! Imma get you outta here!"

Mai lifted her head a little. "Who's there?" she asked. _'It's here again...so familiar...like an old friend…'_

Joey grew more worried and cupped her delicate face in his big hands. "Mai! It's me! Joey!"

"...Joey…?"

"Yes! It's me, I'm here! I won't let anything happen to you! We're friends! I'm here for you, no matter what! Please remember me!"

She stayed silent, but listened. "I'm sorry Mai! I lied to you! When I got hurt in my duel, I did see you in my dream! You helped me stand up, along with the others! I know that I told you that you weren't there...but you were! You're my friend and I care a lot about you!" he confessed. "I really do! Please remember me, Mai!"

Mai grumbled and memories started to rush back to her, and her vision started to clear. "Joey!" she cried. "You're really here…!"

Yami Marik growled. _'He defied the consequences of my Shadow Game! He must die with her!'_

Mai looked around and saw that Ra was readying itself to attack. Flares of fire started to gather in its mouth. Joey was still trying to free her. "Joey! Forget about me! Run!"

"No! I'm not leaving you! No matter what! I can't leave here without you!"

Mai became teary eyed. "Thank you...this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me...I'm sorry about ignoring you earlier."

"Attack them now!" Yami Marik's voice roared.

The fireball stopped growing and shot towards them. They braced for the impact, but nothing came. They turned to find Yami and Mimiki with them. Mimiki had jumped up to help, but Yami had pushed her out of the way before the impact hit. The spirit was blocking the attack with his back. Yami Marik had panicked at first when Mimiki jumped in the way, but laughed once he saw that Yami pushed her out of the way.

"Yugi! No!" Mimiki cried as she shielded herself. The force of the blast pinned her to the floor and made her feel ill again.

Yami grunted as he absorbed the attack. "I won't let you hurt them! None of them!" he shouted.

Soon, the attack ceased and Yami fell to the ground, along with Mai. Everyone stood in silence as the dragon faded away. He looked over to Roland.

"Her life points are gone! Hurry up and declare me the winner!"

Stunned for a moment, Roland quickly nodded.

"And the winner of the third round is Marik Ishtar!"

The platform lowered itself and Joey tried to check on Yami. He tried to shake him awake, but there was no response. "Yug! Wake up!"

Footsteps were heard and Yami Marik was there observing the damage. "I should dispose of him right now!"

Joey quickly stood up to defend his friend. "Back off, man!"

"Relax! I still need him! He shall live another day! But you on the other hand, need to be taught a lesson!" The eye glowed on his head. "Stay out of matters that don't concern you!"

Joey's body was encased in a yellow light. _'I can't move!'_

He began to walk over to Mai, who sat defeated on the ground. Mimiki struggled to get up. "Leave her alone! Haven't you done enough?!"

He turned to her and used the rod on her again. He froze her body as well. "No, no, Mimi! No rebelling against your man!"

He turned back to Mai and kneeled down to her. "You lost! You have to hold up your end of the challenge! Now for the next order of business…" he said as he stood up again. "To the shadows with you!"

He pointed the rod at her and her vision went black. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but a beautiful blue sky, a white, sandy beach and a crystal blue ocean.

"Where am I?"

She looked down and saw everyone dressed in swimwear and carrying supplies. They quickly pitched their umbrellas, laid out the towels and jumped into the ocean. They laughed and splashed each other. The water looked beautiful as it glistened in the sun's light.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!" she called. She reached out to them, but her hand could only go so far. "What's going on?!"

A low cackle entered her ears from the right. She looked over and Yami Marik was kneeled beside her. She jumped back, but something stopped her. She felt around and found herself encased in a glass pyramid shaped hourglass. "What's going on?! Help me, everyone! Please!"

Yami Marik grinned at her. "They can't hear you! You will spend some nice quality alone time here." he explained. He moved his hand to the middle of the hour glass. A card separated the higher chamber. "When the sand covers you, you will die! I'm taking my card back now!"

Mai screamed in terror when he pulled it. Sand and black insects fell upon her head. Yami Marik faded away and the last thing she heard was his evil laugh.

Mai's body dropped lifelessly to the floor and Mimiki and Joey were released from their strongholds.

"Mai!" they shouted. "What did you do to her?!"

He chuckled again. "I just trapped her mind. In twenty-four hours, when the sands fall, she will die!"

"You're sick! Why are you doing this?!" Mimiki cried. "You're so cruel!"

"I told you that everything would be clear soon, Mimi. I'm not finished yet!"

His laugh boomed across the field as he walked to the elevator. Everyone gathered on the field to help them. It was time for another doctor's call.

______________________________________________

Minutes later, they all found themselves in another room filled with beeping medical equipment. Mai had been tucked away in her bed, just like Odion. Serenity cried over Mai and Joey's heart was heavy. Mimiki slowly walked up to Joey and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Joey...I'm so sorry...I—"

Joey slapped her hand away, shocking everyone. "I don't wanna to hear any sympathy from you, Mimiki! You've been friends with this psycho this whole time! Don't act like you didn't know that he'd pull something like this!" he yelled. Everyone stared with wide eyes. They had never seen him like that before and Serenity was a little scared.

"I—I—" she struggled to say "I didn't know! Honest!"

"Bullshit Mimiki!" he screamed. "You knew all along and you let him hurt us! I thought that you were our friend! I thought—"

"That's enough, Joey!" Yami screamed. The pharaoh wasn't down for too long, he was still a little sore from earlier. "Have you forgotten that she did jump up to help you and Mai? If I didn't push her out of the way at the very last minute, she'd be just like Mai, that I'm sure of."

"Yugi's right!" Kakayu said. "She risked her life with Yugi to save yours! You better not let that conveniently slip your mind!"

Joey looked at Mimiki. Her eyes were full of heartbreak, confusion, anger, the whole nine yards. Joey softened. 'Wow! She looks horrible!'

"I'm really sorry Joey...for everything…" With that, she left the room in tears. Kakayu glared at him before running after her. Everyone turned to him, also glaring. "Nice job, dude!" Tristan said sarcastically. "Hell, I'm mad too, but you didn't even let her explain herself!"

Before he could respond, the television activated itself. Roland was on the screen. "The next two duelist for round four will be selected in five minutes!"

The room was silent.

"I'll stay here and watch over Mai." Serenity said. "I'll be waiting for you all later."

"Are you sure, Serenity? You've been excited about this for a while. I can stay here and take your place. It's not like I haven't seen anyone here duel before."

Serenity shook her head. "It's fine. You all go on ahead. I already saw Joey duel. Besides…" she said while looking at Mai. "Joey encouraged me when I had my eye operation. All of you have given me a ton of support. Now Mai is fighting alone…" She turned back to them. "I know that I can't do much...but I want to stay by Mai's side. Please let me stay here."

She locked eyes with Joey and gave him a warm smile. "Go and watch the next duel and move on."

Joey was silent for a moment. "Okay sis. You can stay. Take care of Mai for me."

She nodded. "I will. Have fun, everyone!"

Everyone started to exit the room, but Serenity grabbed Joey before he left. "Big brother, apologize to Mimiki as well. Kakayu, Yugi and Tristan had a point; she did risk her life for you and Mai. We haven't had a chance to hear her story. I'm sure that she feels like she's fighting alone too."

Joey's eyes softened when he saw the mature, gentle spirit of his baby sister. "I will, sis."

Joey exited the room and walked to the dining hall. _'I can forgive Mims...but I can't forgive that bastard Marik!'_

Once again every met in the dining hall, awaiting to hear the next selection. Mimiki and Kakayu stood together, away from Kaiba. Roland started the machine again. Seconds later, it spit out the first ball.

"The first duelist is number 1, Mr. Seto Kaiba!"

Kaiba smirked. _'Finally I get chosen to duel! I hope that I'll duel Yugi! I'll add his god card to my deck and then I can focus on Marik! Then I'll be King of Games once again!'_

The second ball fell into the tray. "The second duelist is number 7, Ms. Kakayu Hikami!"

The cousins gasped and Kakayu glanced at Kaiba, who was equally as shocked as everyone else. _'Kaiba…'_

"Both duelists report to the Stratos Arena immediately!"

The gang made their way upstairs again with Kakayu and Mimiki trailing behind. Everyone had gotten on the elevator except for them due to lack of space. Mimiki placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"Are you okay with this?" she whispered. "I'm sure that you weren't planning on dueling him."

"You're right, I wasn't. But this was the risk of having a lottery style selection process. You and I had just as much of a chance to duel against each other just like everyone else. I'll be fine. Thanks Mimi." she said with a smile. "Besides...I have Blitzkrieg Fairy Queen. I'm pulling out the big guns, just like you did. I'll be able to hold my own against Kaiba." she said while pressing the 'up' button.

"Yeah, you're right..."

Kakayu raised a brow. "You don't sound so confident. You know that my card trumps his Blue Eyes."

Mimiki sighed. "That's not what I'm worried about."

The elevator doors opened and they entered. "Then what are you worried about? Marik's not going to mess up this duel, if that's what you're thinking."

Mimiki grew silent again. "Sorry, Mimi…"

After a few more seconds of silence, they reached the top. The cold air welcomed them and Kakayu took her place across from Kaiba. Kakayu glanced at the audience. Mimiki stood with the others and she gave Kakayu a thumbs up and a weak smile. She returned the gesture and prepared herself.

"The fourth round of The Battle City Semi-Finals, Mr. Seto Kaiba versus Ms. Kakayu Hikami, is about to to begin!" Roland announced.

As the two shuffled one another's deck, Mimiki's look of worry returned. _'I'm not worried about Marik at the moment. I'm worried that Kaiba will use his god card against her. I know that her monster is powerful, but she'll lose if he plays it! Will she get hurt too? If she does, what will become of their relationship?'_ She prayed that everything would work out in the end.

The elevator sounded off when they began the duel. Yami Marik returned and took a spot alone on the opposite side of the rest of the gang. Everyone glared at him, then focused their attention back on the duel. He locked eyes with Mimiki and winked at her, making her look away again. He smiled as he crossed his arms. A chuckle escaped his lips.

_'Soon, Mimi, soon…'_


	8. Tortured Souls Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____________________________________________ ---> scene separator  
> *_____________________________________________* ---> flashback separator

Ten minutes into the duel, both Kaiba and Kakayu were evenly matched. They managed to destroy one another's monsters; each monster ended up being slightly more powerful than the other and their life points were slowly chipped away. Both duelists had 2800 life points. Kakayu had her Electric Fairy Warrior (1900/1500) on the field and Kaiba had his Battle Ox (1700/1000) in defense mode.

"It seems like we're almost evenly matched." Kakayu said. "I expected such a challenge from you." she said with a smirk.

"You know that I have to keep up appearances, Kakayu. I am the CEO of Kaiba Corp, after all." he replied with a match smirk. "You know that you shouldn't expect anything less!"

"Well CEO or not, I'm winning this duel!" she declared. "I place two cards face down and end my turn."

Kaiba drew his next card and a look of conflict graced his features. He pulled Obelisk from his deck. He was conflicted about how to use Obelisk. He knew that it was his most powerful card, and the card was growing on him. It almost rivaled his precious Blue Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba also knew that it was a chance that it could hurt Kakayu, just like everyone else that it had been used against. He kept contemplating over his predicament: he liked Kakayu and enjoyed her company. He didn't think that they would've become good friends as they did, nor did he think that he'd eventually develop feelings for her. Even Mokuba liked her and that was important to him. On the other hand, if he didn't win this round, he'd be out of the tournament and wouldn't have a chance to duel Marik for his god card and he definitely wouldn't be able to duel Yugi for his god card and for the title of 'King of Games'. If he used Obelisk against her and she got hurt, he was sure that he'd lose her, but he would lose his fighting chance. He glanced down at the card and back at her. Kakayu was patiently waiting for him to continue on with his turn.

_'Love or power?'_ he thought.

The power of Obelisk was calling out to him, telling him to use him in this duel. His mind and heart were at war. He knew that she was a good duelist, otherwise she wouldn't be here. But he really wanted to win. He needed to win.

"I play Aqua Madoor (1200/2000) in defense mode!"

The card appeared on the field and a figure wearing a white full face mask. Parts of his spiky blue hair hung over his blue and yellow cape. He kneeled in defense.

"I also place one card face down and end my turn."

Kakayu smirked. "Is that all, Kaiba? You must be up to something!" she commented. "But it doesn't matter! I play Dark Valkyria (1800/1050)!"

A fair skinned woman with dark bionic wings with matching armored helmet and dress appeared on the field.

"I also play my face down card, Supercharge Crystal!"

The card flipped upwards and turned into a small, bright yellow crystal. Her Electric Fairy Warrior accepted the gift and glowed momentarily. Kaiba gasped once he realized what was going on, making Kakayu smirk.

"I see that you figured out my strategy! Just like Mimi, I also have a powerful monster that can be summoned after I play my next two Supercharge Crystals! Do you think that you can beat me by then?"

Kaiba growled. _'Well shit…'_

Everyone turned to Mimiki, who was relieved that Kakayu was getting her strategy rolling. 'Come on, Kai! I'm rooting for you!'

"She has something that's comparable to your Seraph Angel, Mimiki?" Yami asked.

Mimiki nodded. "Yes. She has Blitzkrieg Fairy Queen. They both have equal attack and defense points. They both follow the same rule; three crystals, the base monster and because of Battle City rules, another monster is needed to summon them. If she can summon it soon, she'll beat Kaiba if he doesn't turn the duel around."

"I highly doubt that he's gonna let her beat him. It would make him look bad if he lost his own tournament, especially this early in the game and by a girl, no less!" Duke commented.

Mimiki and Tea glared at him. "I beat Bakura and that didn't make him any less than a man that he is!"

"You didn't beat him, you beat that evil, freaky spirit you all were talking about." he retorted.

"That's beside the point, Duke!" Tea and Mimiki said in unison, obviously irritated.

_'I swear that I could slap his dice loving behind silly sometimes!'_ Mimiki thought.

_"That sounds delightful, Mimi."_ a familiar voice echoed.

Mimiki mentally growled as she locked eyes with her lover's evil side. He gave her a sly smile and winked seductively at her. Disgusted, Mimiki strengthened her glare towards him.

_"In your dreams, you monstrous twit!"_

_"Mimi, I told you that I don't like being called those horrible names. Why would you call me, your boyfriend, such ugly names? And after all of time we spent together, especially in your room earlier. Tsk, tsk, tsk...and here I thought that you loved me."_

Mimiki balled her fist. She didn't want to be reminded of her sweet time with Marik now that he was gone. _"I. Don't. Love. YOU!"_ she stressed.

The psychotic Egyptian chuckled. He could feel Marik's pain from hearing Mimiki's words and it made him feel more stronger than before. "Love you too, Mimi." he said before shutting off their mind link. Frustrated, Mimiki sighed. 'I really have to be on guard and watch my thoughts. He's having a field day with this! I have to stay strong for Marik's sake! I have to save him! I will save him! Even if it kills me!'

Mimiki calmed her breathing and calmed down before focusing her attention back on the duel.

Yami took note on what Duke said and looked back at Mimiki. Yugi's spirit materialized beside him.

_"The spirit of the ring did hint that Mimiki hand in the evil in this tournament, which we know now is Marik's evil side. I wished that we knew more."_ Yugi said.

Yami nodded. _"Me too, Yugi. We have one more duel after this. I hope that we'll learn more afterwards. I admit that I'm very anxious to hear what she has to say."_

Back on the dueling platform, Kakayu was very confident. "No answer? Okay, then! Electric Fairy Warrior attack his Battle Ox!"

The fairy gathered lightning in her palms and shot it at the big armored ox.

"Not so fast! I play negate attack!" Kaiba shouted.

The attack flew into a portal, sparing his Battle Ox.

"Hmph! Should've seen that coming." she replied with a frown. "Dark Valkyria! Attack his Battle Ox instead!"

The dark fairy shot her attack at the ox, destroying him much to Kaiba's chagrin.

'Damn! I have to bring her offense down before she summons her monster!' he thought before looking down to Obelisk. _'I don't want to use Obelisk against her! The only monster that I can summon that can beat her monster is Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Yeah...I'll use that! It's safer and it's more powerful than Obelisk!'_

He smiled at one of his Blue Eyes that was in his hand, but Obelisk was staring at him. Its power started to overwhelm his heart.

_"You WILL use me…"_ its deep, booming voice said.

Kaiba's eyes widened. He felt like his was losing his mind. _"What the—no! I can't! I won't!"_

Kaiba swore that Obelisk's red eyes were glowing now. _"If you want to be King of Games and owner of all of the Egyptian god cards, I suggest you play me soon. Isn't that what you want?"_

_"Yes, but—if—and then—"_

_"There are no 'ifs', 'ands' or 'buts' about this."_ the voice replied. _"You've been wanting to put your rival in his place since he defeated you at Duelist Kingdom and with Ra and Slifer, you will be the most powerful duelist. Besides...what's love got to do with this?"_

Kaiba's heart was turbulent as she fought between the voice and his emotions. _'What should I do?'_ he thought. _'Love or power?'_

"I see that you're contemplating your strategy as you look back and forth at your hand! Let me help you with that!" she said while interrupting his thoughts. "I play Card Destruction! Now we both have to discard our hands!"

Kaiba mentally sighed in relief and sent his deck to the graveyard. He was happy that Obelisk was gone, but one of his Blue Eyes was gone as well. He drew his next hand and ended up with the next dragon, along with another monster card and a couple of magic cards.

_'I have to get the last two dragons and fast!'_

On the side of the field, Kakayu had drawn the last two crystals and was awaiting the final card; Blitzkrieg Fairy Queen. She snickered and looked up towards Kaiba.

"I play another magic card; my second Supercharge Crystal!"

The crystal appeared on the field and her monster accepted it, her body glowing with yellow energy for a few moments. Kakayu could also feel the power running through her veins.

"I play two more cards face down and end my turn."

Kaiba growled. _'She's almost steps away from victory and I'm nowhere near building my offense! I have to turn this around right now!'_

He calmed down and took a deep breath before sporting his trademark smirk. "I play Lord of Dragons in attack mode!"

A tall, tan made dressed in a black jumpsuit with dragon bones adorning as the top layer and as his helmet appeared on the field. It gave everyone flashbacks of Duelist Kingdom. Kaiba was truly the dragon master, his Blue Eyes always leading him to victory.

_'Be careful Kai! I think he's going to summon his Blue Eyes...or could try to summon Obelisk...I hope that it's the former…'_

"Then I play Flute of Summoning Dragon! With this, I play my Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Lord of Dragons grabbed his flute and played a nostalgic melody and summoned the Blue Eyes (3000/2500) to the field. It roared majestically as it landed on the field next to Aqua Madoor.

Kakayu pursed her lips. _'Well I'll be damned...he's one upped me now!'_

He chuckled at the brunette. "Is there a problem, Ms. Hikami?"

"Not at all, Mr. Kaiba!"

"Hmph! We'll see about that! Blue Eyes! Attack her Electric Fairy and take a huge chunk of her life points!"

Gasps could be heard as the white dragon roared as the ball of lightning gathered in its mouth. The ball grew until it was shot towards Kakayu and her monsters. Before it hit her monster, Kakayu wagged her finger.

"Ah, ah, ah!" she said. "Reveal face down card; Mirror Force!"

Kaiba's eyes widened. "No!"

"Yes! Afraid so, my dear! Your Blue Eyes is history!"

The magic cards barrier blocked the attack and destroyed the mighty dragon. It let out one final roar before it shattered into pieces. "And since you kept your Lord of Dragons in attack mode, he's history too!" she pointed out. "See ya!"

The monster gasped before he was destroyed. Mimiki cheered and almost jumped in excitement. "YEAH! GO KAI, GO!" she cheered.

Kakayu gave a bashful smile that turned into a smile of relief. _'This is the happiest she's been since Marik turned into that freak. I'm happy that I can make her smile again.'_

Everyone was impressed that she managed to pull that off against Kaiba and all cheered in their own way. Kaiba on the other hand, was not too happy.

'Two of my dragons are in the graveyard...none of my other monsters can beat her Fairy Queen!' he thought. _'No Blue Eyes...no Obelisk...how am I supposed to win?!' I can't lose! This is my tournament! I have to beat Yugi...and Marik! I'm supposed to be on top!'_

"...I end my turn…" he grumbled.

"Sorry babe, but that's how the cookie crumbles!" Kakayu said. _'I kind of feel sorry for him...this is his tournament, after all. But I have to win, I want to help Mimi bring down that no good cretin for good! Sorry Kaiba...I hope that you won't be too mad at me.'_

"My turn!" she announced. She drew her next card and smiled. _'Yeah...please don't be too mad at me, Kaiba!'_

"I play my face down card; my last Supercharge Crystal!"

Kaiba's eyes shrunk as the yellow crystal materialized and was absorbed into the fairy's body. Lightning danced around her body and Kakayu became excited.

"Now I sacrifice Dark Valkyria and Electric Fairy Warrior to summon Blitzkrieg Fairy Queen!"

The two monsters' bodies shined brightly as dark clouds formed above them and white lightning popped in and out of them, along with booming thunder. Lightning struck down at the monsters multiple times until an explosion blinded everyone. After the light died down, it revealed the tan woman with huge, colorful blue and yellow wings. She wore an elegant matching dress and her long golden hair fell to her thighs. Mimiki smiled in hope of her cousin's victory while everyone stared in amazement. Even Yami Marik was impressed.

_'Now I know how to defeat her before she'll be able to summon her monster if I duel her...the same with my dear Mimi...they really are family...matching cards and all!'_

Kakayu smiled at her powerful monster.

"Blitzkrieg Fairy Queen, attack his Aqua Madoor!"

The fairy shot a ball of lightning at his monster and destroyed it, leaving him wide open for an attack.

"Luckily for you, your monster was in defense mode and I don't have any more monsters to attack you with. My fairy has more than enough power to wipe out your life points." she pointed out. "I hope that you can come up with something during your next turn. Good luck. I end my turn."

Kaiba's hand shook a bit as he drew his next card. The next card was Monster Reborn.

_'Even if I use this and summon my Blue Eyes, it won't be enough to stop her fairy! I'm done for!'_ he panicked. _'I'll be the laughingstock of this tournament! MY tournament! I'll never beat Yugi! I'll never be the best! He'll always look down on me and laugh in my face!'_

Suddenly, he could feel the power of Obelisk vibrating from his duel disk, his despair and ego melding with its power.

"Use me…" it beckoned.

Kaiba became silent for a moment and it started to worry everyone. Roland waited patiently as Kaiba stared at Monster Reborn, hoping that his boss would soon snap out of his stupor.

"Kaiba...are you okay?" Kakayu asked. _'I've never seen him like this before...does he really feel like he's between a rock and a hard place?'_

"Use me…" it said again.

"I—I—I can't! I'll hurt her...I can't hurt her!"

"If you don't Kaiba, you'll always be second best to Yugi. Then what?"

"Kaiba…?" Kakayu called out to him again.

Kaiba looked up to her with an unexplainable look in his eye. "I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "And summon Obelisk the Tormentor!"

Obelisk clawed his way out of the graveyard and stood behind its master, towering over him with its mighty power. Kakayu's heart sank and Mimiki shared her fear.

_'He really did use it...he's gonna use it against me!'_ she panicked. Her legs started to shake when she realized her dire situation. _'I have nothing to protect me…'_

"Kaiba don't—" Mimiki shouted.

It was too late. Kaiba had ordered Obelisk to attack. His fist slammed into her fairy and the blast sent Kakakyu flying backwards. Her head and back hit the rail of the dueling platform and her limp body fell to the ground, unconscious. Her life points dropped to 2300.

"KAKAYU!" Mimiki shouted. She jumped up on the platform and tried to shake her awake. "KAKAYU! KAKAYU!" she screamed with tears in her eyes. Roland turned to the two.

"Miss, you can't be up here! You'll be dis—"

Mimiki shot daggers at the older man. He swore that her blue eyes were red for a split second and that he heard a growl. He backed away from them and Mimiki tended to her once again.

Kaiba stared in disbelief. _'What have I done...?'_

Before Obelisk disappeared into the night, he could hear the voice again. _"What's love got to do with it?"_

After five minutes, Kakayu still didn't awaken. Another medical call was issued and she was transferred to her room for examination.

_____________________________________________

_"Obelisk! Attack with Fist of Fate!"_

_As the supercharged fist came at her, she braced for impact. In a split second, she found herself flying through the air, the absence of the ground not under her feet made her heart drop. An ear piercing scream was released as soon as she hit the rail, her body paralyzing upon impact. She had never felt pain like that before, not even during volleyball practice at school. Her world went black when before she hit the ground._

Kakayu's eyes shot open and she screamed as she flailed around in her bed. Mimiki quickly jumped up from her sleepy stupor and tried to restrain Kakayu.

"Kakayu! Kakayu! It's okay! Calm down!" she ordered.

"Mimi…?" she whispered. "Where am I?" she asked as she looked around. "Why am I in my room? Wasn't I dueling against Kaiba?"

Mimiki helped her sit up and propped the down feather pillows behind her back to make her more comfortable. Kakayu rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"I had the worse nightmare!" she said. "Kaiba used Obelisk against me and I was flying backwards and I hit my head or something…"

Mimiki looked at her sadly and bit her lip. Kakayu looked at her worryingly. "What?"

"...That wasn't a nightmare, Kai. That was reality." she replied sadly.

Kakayu sat in silence and her eyes started to water.

"...What…?" she muttered.

Mimiki sighed. "You've been unconscious for almost the last forty-five minutes. Kaiba ended up using Obelisk to attack you. You passed out once you hit the rail on the platform. I'm sorry to say but...you lost the duel. You're out of the tournament." she informed her. "Don't worry. The bright side is the doctor said that you didn't break anything. You just have a bruised back and a bump on the back of your head. You'll be sore for a while. You need to rest."

He used Obelisk against me...he really used it against me…" she muttered.

Mimiki felt bad for her. _'I had a bad feeling that this was going to happen...what's going to happen to her and Kaiba now? She really likes him...that damn jerk!'_

Kakayu continued to look lost and Mimiki tried to change the subject. "Everyone will be happy to hear that you're okay! They were very worried about you."

Kakayu snapped out her trance and looked around. "Where are they?"

"Yugi got called to duel against that mystery duelist that we haven't seen yet. You know, duelist number ten?"

"Oh...that's right…it was the last duel for the night..."

Mimiki nodded. "I told them to go on ahead and cheer him on. I wanted to look after you."

She was silent for a minute. "...Did Kaiba check up on me?" she asked quietly.

Mimiki was silent for a moment and tried not to look away. "Well...he…"

Kakayu shed a tear and wiped it away, prompting Mimiki to stop speaking. A few sniffles were heard before she ripped the covers off her legs. She winced in pain as she tried to stand up.

"Kai…! You have to rest!"

A silent, yet irate look was splattered across her face as she limped towards the door.

"No. I'm fine."

She grabbed her jacket and walked towards the door. Mimiki grabbed her arm.

"Kakayu! Listen to me!" she pleaded.

Kakayu quickly snatched her arm away. "I said I'm fine!"

Mimiki gasped and felt a little hurt. Once she was fired up, there was no use of stopping Kakayu.

Kakayu walked out the room and Mimiki quickly followed. They were stopped when the gang walked down the hall.

"Kai! You're okay!" Joey said happily. "Glad to see ya on your feet!"

Kakayu nodded quickly with a frown. "Thanks."

Mimiki quickly came from behind her. "We didn't expect to see you all so soon. How did the duel go?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"It was...quite a surprise…" Yami admitted.

Mimiki cocked her side to the side. "How so?"

"I believe that he's talking about me." a familiar voice said.

"Ishizu?" Mimiki asked with widened eyes.

Ishizu walked to front of the group. Kakayu glared at the Egyptian. She instantly reminded her of Kaiba. Ishizu was donning another beige dress, but three gold bands were wrapped around her stomach, making the dress appear almost like a mermaid style dress. She was wearing gold arm jewelry similar to Marik's and a beige veil with a golden headdress covered her raven hair.

"I apologize for revealing myself so late, Mimiki. Please forgive me." she said.

Mimiki stayed silent for a moment and fiddled with her fingers. Before she could give a response, the on-board announcement system suddenly beeped.

"The time is now 11 P.M. Round One of the Battle City Finals is now over!" Roland announced. "The remaining duelists are Mimiki Minami, Joey Wheeler, Marik Ishtar, Mr. Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto. The tournament will resume tomorrow when we land at the final dueling site. Breakfast will be served in the morning at 9 A.M. Sleepwear and toiletries have been delivered to your rooms for your convenience. Thank you and have a good night."

After he ended his announcement, Ishizu cleared her throat.

"I believe that it's time to discuss everything thus far, don't you all agree?"

Everyone nodded while Kakayu crossed her arms.

"Please follow me to my room. We have much to talk about."

"Before that," Joey said. "Can we check on Mai first? I want to see how she's doing."

Ishizu nodded. "Yes, I don't see why not. I would like to see her as well."

With that, everyone made their way to Mai's room.

_____________________________________________

Serenity jumped when the door slid open and everyone walked in.

"Welcome back, you guys!" Serenity said cheerfully.

Joey was the first to reach them. "Hey sis." Joey replied. "How's Mai?"

Serenity replied with a sad look. "She's been the same since you all left. No response."

Joey bent over the blonde and moved a strand of hair from her face. It hurt his heart that she didn't move when he fixed her hair.

"I'm sorry Mai...I'm sorry for letting you down! I promise that you'll get your revenge!"

"No Joey!" Serenity said. "Anger and revenge isn't going to solve anything! It'll only make things worse! That's how Mai ended up like this! That's why Mimiki's heart is broken! Marik is so full of anger and hate, it's spreading like a virus."

The young Wheeler seized for a bit. "When I took my bandages off, this isn't what I wanted to see…" she said with tears in her eyes.

Her words struck a chord with everyone and Mimiki became glassy eyed. Joey placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serenity! I'll beat Marik and save Mai!"

Serenity wiped her cheeks dry. "I know that you want me to be strong Joey, but this is getting ridiculous. I don't know how much more I can take!" she complained. "Bakura and Mai are like this because of the duels! This isn't the world that I wanted to see…"

Joey embraced his baby sister. "I'm sorry Serenity…"

Everyone was silent until Ishizu walked up to Mai. She looked down on the blonde and sighed.

"There is hope ahead, everyone. Remember, where there is evil, there is good. Marik was good once."

Everyone turned to her and Mimiki stepped up, joining Ishizu by her side. The boys sat on the floor or and the girls sat in the chairs. Yami had allowed Yugi to take over again, as the last duel had made him a little tired, but he sat next to Yugi in spirit form to listen.

"I knew that this time was going to come sooner than later." Ishizu started off.

"For those who don't know me, I'm Ishizu Ishtar, Marik's older sister. Right now, I'm overseeing the Egyptian Art Exhibit at Domino Museum. That's where I met with the pharaoh and Tea before the tournament started. I also met with Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba and Ms. Hikami to convince him to host the Battle City tournament. I wanted to lure Marik and Odion, our adoptive brother, out of hiding and expose the Rare Hunters. I apologize for the harm that they caused you all." she said before bowing.

She then turned to Mimiki. "I ask that you not be angry with Mimiki. When we reunited, I asked for her to aid me to bring Marik to reason. I also asked for her to keep this a secret until the time was right."

Mimiki looked at everyone with regret.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you all. Ishizu told me that she'd explain everything to you all once this happened. Also, I didn't want you all to get involved in my personal affairs with Marik. I was hoping to be the one to stop him from continuing his plans. I'm also sorry for my behavior from earlier. It's not like me to use such coarse language, but I'm sure that you all already know that."

Then she turned to Yami. "I know now that I was wrong about this. There were things that I obviously wasn't aware of...and I'm in just as much shock as you all are...this is really stressing me out." she said with a cracked voice, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Marik was my best friend...he still is...and I'll be the first to say this...I, Mimiki Minami, your friend, is in love with Marik Ishtar."

Everyone was silent for a moment. It wasn't a shock to Kakayu, as she was well aware of her cousin's feelings.

"I know that he's been nothing but a pain in everyone's ass recently…"

"You can say that again…" Joey muttered.

"But I can personally tell you all that he wasn't like this…the Marik that I knew was kind, sweet, a little annoying at times and ignorant of the world, but he cared about everyone he knew."

Joey wasn't convinced, but was willing to listen. Everyone readied themselves for the rest of the story. A small, warm smile was planted on Mimiki's face.

"When I moved to Egypt, I was very unhappy to say the least. I had to leave family and friends behind...I left all that I knew behind for what I thought at the time was a country full of sand; a place that I thought had nothing to offer. But that all changed one day when I met Marik at the local market…"

*_____________________________________________*

_Mimiki had walked around slowly, careful not to get dirt inside her black flats. She was uncomfortably hot, but was thankful that it wasn't as hot as it was going to become later in the year. As she walked amongst the stalls, she came across a jeweler who had various stone necklaces, earrings and bracelets on display. Her smile grew a mile wide, as she loved jewelry. She scanned the inventory and even found a bottle of Egyptian lotus perfume, a local commodity. She grabbed the bottle and decided to buy an eye catching moonstone pendant wrapped in a silver setting._

_Happy with her purchase for now, she decided to find a place to sit to further examine her things. She was so focused at her new necklace, that she didn't pay attention to where she was walking. Mimiki found herself stepping on something soft, yet firm._

_"OUCH!" a voice shrieked._

_Mimiki looked down to find a tan hand under her shoe, along with a magazine. She shrieked as well and moved her foot as the owner quickly retracted his hand. He tried his best to rub the pain away._

_"I'm-I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! I didn't mean to—" Then she noticed the magazine that was under his hand. "And I stepped on your book! I'm so sorry!"_

_'I haven't even been here for ten minutes and I'm already getting in trouble!' she complained._

_The boy stood up and looked at her as she picked up his magazine. He seemed to be at loss for words. Mimiki tried her best to think of the right words to say in Arabic, as she was still a beginner._

_"I'm sorry! Are you okay? I'm sorry that I soiled your magazine! I'll buy you another one! Is that okay with you?"_

_The boy still didn't respond to her. 'Did I say something wrong?' she thought._

_He kept staring at her, unable to look away. He wasn't used to seeing other girls, especially around his age. Her blue eyes, long dark brown hair and the scent of her perfume had him smitten. He also found her foreign clothes interesting and colorful._

"Um...hello? Is that okay with you?"

_The boy quickly snapped out of his trance and fidgeted around in nervousness, not knowing how to react to her._

_"Um...um...well...eh…" he muttered as he became quiet. Mimiki looked at him weirdly. No boy that she'd ever known had acted like this around her. 'He's nothing compared to the boys that used to pick on me back home. He's so...quiet!'_

_Silence fell between them until Mimiki spoke up. "Are you okay?"_

_The boy instantly became more nervous and stammered again. "I-I-I…I'm okay!" the platinum blonde had answer back._

_Mimiki handed him the dirty magazine and he quietly took it from her. "I could buy you another one…"_

_"No, it's okay. It's not mine. It was on the ground and I was just picking it up."_

_He then looked into the magazine, admiring the exciting articles and photos._

_"Wow this isn't like my scriptures at all! This thing looks cool!" he said with a big smile. A certain picture quickly caught his eye._

_"What is this? Do you know?" he asked pointing at the picture._

_Mimiki stood closer to him and looked at the picture and then stared at him in confusion._

_'How could he not know what a motorcycle is?' she thought._

_"It's a motorcycle...you ride it and it can go really fast. This one looks like it's a brand new model. You've never seen one before? Not even on TV?"_

_"What's a TV?" he quickly asked in confusion. "I've never heard of that before."_

_Mimiki was really confused now. 'Where has this kid been living? Under a rock or something?' she thought. She decided not to ask him that in such a rude manner. She examined him again._

_"You've never heard of a TV before? Do your parents not allow you to watch TV or something?" she asked inquisitively. "You have to at least have one TV in your house. How would your parents watch the news? Do they at least let you watch that? My mom wants me to watch the news more, but I'd rather watch cartoons and anime instead!"_

_The boy started to panic at her questions and didn't know how to answer them. She quickly started asking him more questions._

_"You said earlier that you read scriptures? You mean like Egyptian hieroglyphics or history books or something? What rock have you been living under? Or is that just a hobby of yours?"_

_The boy looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean? No, I've never seen a TV before and I don't live under a rock. I live underground."_

_"...what?" Mimiki couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Underground?! He's kidding right?! This kid is weird! I gotta find out more!'_

_"Are you serious…? You live underground…?"_

_He smiled playfully. "Why yes! I have a role as a tomb keeper and—"_

_"No Marik! That's our family secret!" someone called out to him. An older girl with long raven hair, tan skin and piercing blue eyes quickly appeared behind them and was slightly winded. The two turned to her and saw the look of anger on her face._

_"Marik!" she shouted. "I've been looking everywhere for you! You're not supposed to run off like that!" she scolded._

_Mimiki was taken aback at her tone of voice, but listened._

_"I'm sorry Ishizu. I was just talking to this girl and—"_

_Ishizu quickly looked at the girl and frowned. "And I think that our time is up! We need to leave now Marik." she said quickly, cutting him off. "I think that you have said too much!" she said dragging him away from Mimiki. He kept looking back and forth between the two girls in despair, appearing that he didn't want to leave just yet._

_"But sister —" he protested._

_"But no, Marik!" she spat. "We've been out long enough! It's time to return home!"_

_Mimiki watched as Ishizu dragged Marik away. Her curiosity was officially sparked. She had never met anyone like him before. The way his sister dragged him away and his talk about being a tomb keeper added to her curiosity. Even the color of his hair intrigued her._

_'Whatever he was telling me about, it must be a big secret if she yelled at him like that. She even dragged him away! What's a tomb keeper and why would he keep a tomb?' she thought. After a minute or so after they left, she started to follow after them._

*_____________________________________________*

"Needless to say, my curiosity was sparked. They were so interesting to me and I had to know more!" Mimiki said with the small smile still on her face. Quickly that smile transformed into a frown. "But little did I know that my curiosity was going to get me killed…I followed them and thought that it'd be okay...I was so wrong!"

*_____________________________________________*

_Mimiki carefully followed Marik and Ishizu back to their home. She watched as Ishizu quietly opened the doors and Marik stared out into the horizon. He walked towards a nearby short stone wall slab and sat on it for a minute before being called by his sister. He quickly joined her and started walking down the stairs. She noticed from afar that Ishizu didn't close the doors and quickly ran away, Marik following her soon afterwards. He had also forgotten to close the doors. Mimiki quickly ran up to the entrance and looked down inside. Although it was pretty dark and quiet, she gathered her nerves and quickly pulled out her cell phone to use it as a flashlight. She took a deep breath and descended underground._

*_____________________________________________*

"When I was looking for Marik and Ishizu, I heard Marik crying out Odion's name and him screaming. When I finally found them, Odion was face down on the floor, hands bound and bleeding. His clothes had several tears in it. Their father had whipped him several times. Their father finally saw me and I was frozen in fear...he wanted to kill me for trespassing in their home…"

Mimiki shivered as she continued to recall her memories. "I instantly regretted my decision. I begged him not to hurt me and told him that I would leave and forget everything I saw. He didn't listen and pointed a sharp, burning knife at me...I remember Marik telling him not to hurt me. Then…" she said with narrowed eyes. "He appeared…"

Yugi gave her a look of concern. "Are you talking about Marik's dark side?"

Mimiki nodded and looked over to Ishizu, who took her look as a sign to take over. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"Yes. Our father was livid that we had left home to explore the surface world, as it was forbidden for us to do so. Marik was doomed from the start."

Everyone gave her a questionable look, interested to hear more.

"Allow me to explain. Marik, like everyone else, started off as an innocent child. Unfortunately, his innocence had disappeared and in return, left a dark hole in his heart. Five years ago, on his twelfth birthday, Marik received the Tomb Keeper's initiation and inherited the duty of protecting the pharaoh's tomb, along with his memories."

"Tomb Keeper's initiation?" Mimiki asked.

Ishizu nodded.

"Yes. It's a ritual where Marik was bound and gagged. He spent hours having the pharaoh's memories carved into his back with a hot knife."

Everyone winced at imagining his pain and Mimiki was not only mortified at his hidden agony, but grew even more worried about him. _'Why didn't he tell me?'_

Ishizu sighed in sadness. "I remember that ordeal as if it was yesterday…"

*_____________________________________________*

_Marik's twelfth birthday had finally arrived. He knew of the initiation and was told that it would be painful. He cried in his room to Odion the day before, fearing the pain and agony that was awaiting him. Odion had brought him his dinner; a simple vegetable soup, a piece of bread and a cup of water. He was reading his scriptures, trying to distract himself from his dark thoughts._

_"Master Marik," Odion called. "I brought you your dinner." he said from behind him. Marik didn't turn to him and only glared at the text._

_"I'm not hungry."_

_Odion grew worried for the young boy. "Master Marik, you've barely eaten in the last few days. You must eat." he said as he approached him. He reached out for the young Ishtar's shoulder, but was met with retaliation. Marik quickly slapped the tray of food from his brother's hand and it banged loudly against the stone floor. Marik winced at his destructive behavior and sighed with tears in his eyes._

_"I'm sorry, Odion. I shouldn't have hit you...and I wasted food…"_

_Odion shook his head and bent down to clean the mess. "It's alright, Master Marik. Please, can you tell me what's bothering you? Please know that you can talk to me whenever you feel conflicted about something."_

_He looked at his brother with grief. "Odion…" he muttered. "I'm so scared...I don't want to receive the initiation tomorrow! I don't!" he admitted in tears. "Father told me that I will be in a lot of pain...he went through the same thing when he was twelve...and now I'll really be confined here to the tomb for the rest of my life…"_

_His tears magnified. "I don't want to go through this! The pain will be so horrible...I'll die!" he cried. Odion felt sorry for his young master and tried to comfort him._

_"Please don't fret, Master Marik. Now that I'm aware of your true feelings, I can assist you."_

_Marik tried to wipe his tears away. "What do you mean?"_

_"I can go and ask Master Ishtar if I can take the initiation in your place."_

_Marik's eyes lit up with a giant smile, but then grew dim. "...you would do that for me? I can't! It wouldn't be right!"_

_Odion disagreed. "No, please allow me to talk with the Master. It's the least I can do. I'm eternally grateful that the Ishtar clan had saved me from death as an infant and has adopted me into the family." he said happily. "I'm sure that he'll understand. All will be well, Master Marik. Please trust me."_

_Marik looked at him worryingly. "Okay, Odion, if you say so."_

_Later on that day, Odion had went off to talk with their father. Ishizu had seen him enter the room and stood outside to listen._

_"What do you want, Odion?! I'm busy!"_

_Odion bowed down deeply to the floor, his nose touching it. Mr. Ishtar usually enjoyed it when people groveled at his feet, but this time, he didn't like where this was going._

_"Master Ishtar, I come in place of Master Marik. Please allow me to take his place in the Tomb Keeper's initiation."_

_Odion was met with a burning candle that was thrown onto his back. Mr. Ishtar laughed manically and spit on him as Odion flinched._

_"Are you serious?! How dare you come in here and ask to be treated like a son of mine?!" he scoffed. "This is a tradition that is to be passed down to the heir of the Ishtar clan and you are NO Ishtar! You're a damn servant!" he roared. "Marik will go through this initiation and become the next leader of the Ishtar clan whether he likes it or not!" he said with narrowed eyes._

_"You're an idiot for requesting to take his place when you apparently don't know yours! If you speak of this again, I'll slice your fucking tongue out of your mouth, do you understand?! I never want to hear about this again!"_

_Odion was hurt by the elder Ishtar's words and Ishizu felt sorry for him. He remembered how one night he had overheard his adoptive mother talking about him receiving the initiation, but that was before Marik was born._

_'Oh how I wish you were here, mother...I'm sorry Master Marik...I tried…'_

_"Yes, Master. I'm sorry to have bothered you with this."_

_Ishizu quickly fled before anyone noticed her and ran to her room. She walked to her bed and got on her knees to pray for her baby brother._

_The next day, other clan members had grabbed Marik early in the morning and dragged him to the initiation room. He struggled and cried in their grasp and called for help as they passed Odion._

_"Odion! Help me! Please!" he begged. "I don't want to become a tomb keeper! Please!"_

_Odion closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to see him like that. Ishizu had heard his screams and covered her ears while shedding a few tears for him._

_Marik was quickly stripped down to his waist, then tied to a stone table and gagged. His father placed a dagger into a nearby fire pit until it was red hot. He smiled evilly at his son's smooth, bare back. He had been waiting all this time for this moment._

_'After this, in a few years, I can finally rest and pass this onto Marik.'_

_With that thought, he began to slice into Marik's back. The young Ishtar's agonizing screams were muffled with every strike. The pain was worse that he thought - it was hell._

_Odion stood outside with his own dagger. He was determined to make things right._

_Several hours later, Marik had been bandaged up and was laying face down in his bed. The pain was still digging into his flesh and he was gripping his sheets forcefully. He started to bleed through the bandages. He cried and cried to the point where he didn't notice that there was someone else there with him - the boy that hid in his shadow. His heart started to fill with anger and hatred. The shady figure looked down on him and smiled, as he felt more power come to him with every tear shed and negative thought that passed through his host's' mind._

_Soon, Odion walked into the room to comfort him and to change his bandages. Marik felt his presence and did his shadow. The shadow was somehow affected by Odion's presence and it made him feel a little weaker._

_"My life has changed forever…" he muttered._

_"Master Marik...I'm here to change your bandages…" he said as she reached for him._

_Marik quickly slapped his hand away and screamed in pain. "Go away!"_

_"Please don't move, Master Marik."_

_Marik growled. "Why...why do I have to pledge my life to the pharaoh!? He's dead! He can't do anything for us!" he yelled. "Why did I have to go through this?! I hate him!"_

_Odion stepped back as he listened to him. His voice was distorted and his face appeared ghastly for a moment. The shadow grinned at him before disappearing. Marik narrowed his eyes at his brother. Odion was covering his face with a hood._

_"What's wrong with your face to the point that you have to hide it? You've never done that before." he noted._

_Odion stayed silent for a moment. "As you know, I'm forbidden to join this clan…"_

_"Go on…" Marik commanded._

_Odion pulled the hood off and unwrapped his bandaged face. "So I performed my own ritual. I hope that this proves my loyalty to you and your family, sir."_

_Marik stared with wide eyes at his brother. Odion have carved hieroglyphics into one of his cheeks, from the bottom of his eye to his chin. "You're not alone."_

*_____________________________________________*

"Ever since that day, we noticed a change in Marik. It was as if the initiation infused him with an evil force, and over the years, his evil side grew stronger. He was more irritable and emotional at times, but he was still a kind child."

Joey's glare was still hard after listening to them, and he wasn't convinced of Marik's prior innocence.

"I understand where you're coming from, but still don't see him being a kind kid! Look at what he's done!" Joey said.

Mimiki grew angry. "Well he was a kind kid! We were practically attached to the hip, so I should know. He never hurt me because he loves me!"

"How can you even believe that?" Duke asked. "From what I'm understanding, he's been lying this whole time!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but only Joey spoke. "Yeah, Mims! He could've been controlling your mind to make you think that! He already used that freaky rod on you! I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case!"

Mimiki's eyes narrowed into slits. "ENOUGH!" she screamed as she stomped one foot down.

"How dare you say that?! You don't even know the whole story!" she shouted, huffing in anger. "He told me before I left Egypt that he loved me! I know that his feelings are real! Even when we were in my room earlier, I saw it in his eyes! And as for the usage of the millennium rod, I've never blacked out or had a memory lapse until his evil half used it against me!"

She quickly pointed towards Joey and Duke. "And you better come correct and know the whole story before you come at me like that or so help me, I'll rip you apart! Do you understand?!"

She was almost at the brink of tears when Ishizu placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at the older woman with tired, desperate eyes. She replied with a gentle look of understanding and Mimiki calmed down.

"I'm sorry…" she said while wiping a tear from her face.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. In shock of her outburst, everyone felt uneasy, as they've never seen her reach such a high level of anger before. She was always easy going until provoked, but they were never on the receiving end of it all. Kakayu was the only one who wasn't as shocked as the others. She looked towards her cousin in worry. _'She's really hurt by all of this...and here I thought that I was the one hurting over a guy…'_

"Go on, you two." she said. Everyone turned to her in question. "With the story, I mean. We need to know everything so we can help, right?"

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Yes, Kakayu's right. Let's hear the rest of it."

Mimiki and Ishizu smiled at their support. _'Thank you…'_

"Please understand. Since ancient times, we tomb keepers have made many sacrifices in the name of loyalty to the pharaoh and to guard the two millennium items that were entrusted to us." she said looking down at her millennium necklace. "We've been waiting for thousands of years for the pharaoh's return while we guarded his tomb. As the first-born son, Marik was required to bear the Pharaoh's secret on his back, and forbidden ever to leave the tomb. Five years ago, Marik begged me to take him onto the surface."

*_____________________________________________*

_"Please Ishizu! Just this once! Take me to the surface!" be begged loudly. Ishizu placed a finger over her mouth, giving a quick "sshh" sound._

_"Lower your voice, Marik!" she scolded. She looked back towards his door to see if she could hear any footsteps. Luckily, none were heard and she sighed in relief._

_"It's too dangerous! Father will be furious if he found out! You know how much he hates the surface world! We'll be in big trouble!" she whispered. Their father, the head of the Ishtar clan, was a strict man. He was loyal to his duty and was determined to make sure that his offspring would understand their role and perform it without any distractions. His main concern was for his children. Marik was the heir to the Ishtar clan and was seen as the most valuable asset to continue on their ancient duty to protect the pharaoh's tomb and memories until his return._

_Marik quickly grabbed his sister's hand with a pleading look in his eyes._

_"Please sister! Please! Just this once! I won't ask again!"_

_"No, Marik!" she tried to yell as quietly as she could. Marik quickly looked down, feeling defeated. Ishizu felt sorry for him, but she was doing this for his own good. She knew that he was resenting his role as a tomb keeper at the tender age of 13, especially after he received the tomb keepers initiation a year ago. He was in a great deal of pain afterwards and was very hostile at times after the whole ordeal._

_Ishizu couldn't blame her brother for wanting to see what life was like outside the tomb. She too often wondered how it would be as well, beyond the entrance that lead to their home._

*_____________________________________________*

"Odion had convinced me that he would cover for us while we were away, so I took him to the surface. Marik was thrilled and absorbed everything around him. He ran off and ended up meeting Mimiki later." she said looking over to the tan brunette with a smile. Mimiki returned her smile.

"After we returned home, as I said earlier, our father was furious that we left. Be had beaten Odion. He whipped and stabbed him several times; he was near death and unconscious. He scolded us for leaving and when Mimiki had arrived, he was going to kill her for witnessing too much. At that time, Marik was already attached to Mimiki and didn't want anything to happen to her. He quickly snapped when our father ran to kill her and his evil side had emerged."

Mimiki shook again as she remembered that she was one inch away from being murdered. "I remember it so well now...he grabbed me and was ready to stab me, but Marik had punched him. I was grateful until I noticed that something was wrong with him…" she said sadly.

"He defied our father's commands and took control of of the millennium rod. He used its power against us and...killed our father."

Everyone gasped and Mimiki held her mouth in disgust from witnessing the bloody murder. "He then used the rod on me when I tried to escape and thrusted me into the wall. I remember that I blacked out afterwards...I was so scared..." she said with more tears. "I think because of that and my fear, I made myself forget what had happened...I didn't want to relive that nightmare again."

Everyone started to feel bad for her ordeals. "But I still don't understand how you've come to love this psychopath!" Duke said. Mimiki couldn't help but glare at him, but remained calm this time around. _'Doesn't he ever know when to shut up?!'_

"Before I sealed my memories, Marik and Ishizu had woken me up after it was over…"

*_____________________________________________*

_"She's waking up!" Marik said._

_Mimiki's eyes shot open and she jumped up quickly. She looked around and fear began to take over again, her body started shaking uncontrollably._

_"Are you okay?" Marik asked._

_Mimiki quickly remembered what happened. She saw the blood that stained his clothes and quickly backed away from him._

_"Stay away from me! Leave me alone!" she commanded. She placed her arms and out the front of her to shield herself._

_Marik was taken aback by her behavior towards his offer to help her._

_"Please let me help you." he said as he reached out for her. She quickly slapped his hand away and gave him an intense expression of anger. She was more scared than angry, but she didn't want him to know how scared she really was._

_"I told you to stay away from me!" She shoved him and ran for her life. Marik looked at her fleeting form sadly._

*_____________________________________________*

Ishizu decided to take over again. "She had dropped her necklace there and it gave Marik a reason to pursue her."

Mimiki nodded. "When I realized it was missing, my mind wouldn't let me think back to what I saw at their home. After searching for it, Marik found me that night near the local oasis and he returned my necklace…" she said warmly. "After talking with him, he told me that he didn't have any friends and neither did I since we just moved there and I didn't start school yet. Right then and there, we became friends. We were inseparable ever since...I taught him about life in the modern world and he taught me about his...we were worlds apart, but like puzzle pieces, we connected with each other. Our differences didn't matter. Slowly, I started falling in love with him without knowing it." she said with a warm and loving smile.

Everyone took notice to her smile. They had never seen her smile in that manner and her eyes held a lot of love for Marik. Her smile was replaced with a frown again.

"Sadly, it took for us to move back home for me to truly realize my feelings for him.. When we got to the airport and past security, Marik had came after me and told me that he loved me too. I told him that I felt the same, but I wasn't sure if he heard me or not. After that, we hadn't seen each other until the tournament. That was three and a half years ago." she said looking down. She quickly straightened herself.

"I'm sorry again for not telling you everything. Constantly retelling my time in Egypt always made me sad, so I didn't want to talk about it much. When I found out that Ishizu was in town and there was a possibility that Marik was with her, I was so happy! We would finally be reunited and I was going to introduce you all to each other during the tournament...but this wasn't what I had pictured...please forgive me." she said before bowing deeply. She then turned to Yugi, who was staring at her with big, sad eyes.

"Please Yugi...save Marik. I need help…" she pleaded before looking at Ishizu. "We need help."

Yugi was silent for a moment and everyone looked at him.

"It seems like this evil has completely taken over his body...what if Yugi can't save him?" Serenity asked sadly. Ishizu turned to her.

"No matter what happens, you need to have hope. Even in a world of darkness, we always search for light and hope. I have hope for my brother."

"I understand, but what if there is no way to save him?" Yugi asked. "What if it's too late?"

"It's your destiny to save the world." she replied. "That includes him too."

"Yes, but I thought that meant that I would have to defeat him and put an end to his plans...not actually saving a soul. It seems so..so.."

"Infeasible?" Ishizu asked. "Yes, I'm aware. You must trust me. I know that there's hope for my brother! It was only recently that he started to trail off the right path."

"But I still don't understand why he wants to hurt us." Yugi said. "Besides the pain that he suffered, what else is there? Please help us to understand."

Ishizu sighed. "Marik's view of you is a bit skewed, to say the least. After he returned to normal after Odion regained consciousness, Marik saw that our father was dead. He mourned over his death. That's when Shadi appeared…"

'Shadi?' everyone thought.

"He spoke of that the pharaoh spirit has brought this upon the Ishtar family due to our sins. I honestly don't believe that was the case, though. Anyways, Marik took that to heart and believed it. That just added to another reason of why he's so angry. He doesn't know that our father was killed by his evil half. Mimiki helped to ease his pain by being his first friend, but after she left so suddenly, that's when Marik's heart had turned cold."

Mimiki's heart was heavy. _'Marik…I'm so sorry!'_

"Please...we need your help!" Mimiki pleaded. "We want the old Marik back. We want him to have another chance at life! If we have a chance to save him, I want to take it! I don't want to life the rest of my life thinking 'what if' or questioning why I didn't try harder!" she said with a cracked voice, tears threatening to fall again.

"Marik was always there for me...you all don't know this, but I had died for a moment while I was in Egypt…"

"YOU WHAT?!" everyone asked.

Mimiki nodded. "I'm not going to get into the details, but when I came back to life Marik saved me before I could die again...they all saved me...now I want to save him."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment. Their words had finally began to reach their hearts. Yugi smiled and walked up to her. "I'll do my best to save him!" He then looked over to Yami's spirit that hovered next to him. "We'll do our best!"

Joey had walked up to them shortly after. Mimiki and him exchanged a look for a second.

"I'm sorry for being so rough on ya. I don't completely understand it all, but I'll help ya, Mims. For you and Mai's sake!" he said with a smile.

"Really? Thank you!" she said with a relieved smile.

Tea walked up and gave her a warm hug. She felt very sad for Mimiki, more than she thought that she would and she couldn't figure out why. "I'm sorry...I didn't know, but now I understand. We'll cheer you three on in the finals. Remember, we want this to have a happy ending!"

Mimiki sniffed. "Thank you!"

"Now go on and save your man!" she whispered into her ear. Mimiki blushed before looking away. "Yeah, yeah…"

Tea snickered and giggled.

"Yeah, good luck you guys!" Tristan said with a thumbs up. "We're here for ya!"

Mimiki cried tears of joy. "Thank you everyone!"

Kakayu managed to crawl out of her chair with help from Serenity. She found that most of her anger had receded for now. "Group hug, everyone!"

Everyone gathered around and hugged. Even Ishizu joined in. The feeling of hope and love between them all had never felt greater. After a while, they parted and Tea looked at her watch before letting out a yawn.

"Wow! It's almost midnight, guys! I'm tired!"

Everyone yawned afterwards.

"Well that settles it! Time to hit the hay!" Tristan said. "I'm bunking with Joey!"

"Me too!" Duke said.

"WHAT?!" Joey shouted. "Why my room?!"

Tristan glared at the blonde. "Where else are we going to go? Besides, your room is like a palace! You'll never know that we're there!"

Joey huffed. "I don't think so! Ehh, whatever!"

Everyone chuckled and then released another onslaught of yawns.

"Thank you again everyone for your understanding and help. We really appreciate it. Tomorrow, one of us will end up dueling Marik and we need all the rest we can get! Good night." Mimiki said.

Everyone said their goodbyes and started to leave. Before they could leave the room, Ishizu stopped Mimiki and Yugi.

"Mimiki, Yugi, may I have a quick word?"

The two stopped and turned to her. "Yes, Ishizu?" Mimiki asked.

"I know that Marik's dark half is interested in making you suffer as well. You'll need some protection."

"What kind of protection?"

Ishizu looked down to her necklace, fingering its shape. "For some odd reason, the necklace has stopped showing me visions. I lost the duel because I foresaw the pharoah use Slifer to win, but he ended up using Dark Paladin instead. You can protect yourself from the power of the rod by wearing this."

Ishizu unlatched the necklace and handed it to her.

"Are you sure that it's okay? I'm not a wielder like you all…I don't think that I can use it. Besides, what about your safety?"

Ishizu nodded. "It's perfectly fine. I no longer have any use for it. Please protect yourself. I have my ways of protecting myself. Remember that you have to wear it."

Mimiki took the necklace from her. "Thank you."

"After this is over…" she said turning to Yugi. "Mimiki will give it to you. You'll need it along with the god cards and the other millennium items to awaken the pharaoh's memories."

Yugi nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Ishizu."

"Good night you two and be careful."

The two teens nodded. "Yes, you too. Goodnight."

Ishizu left for her room and Mimiki gave Yugi a smile of thanks before retreating to her room. It was time to have a well deserved rest.

_____________________________________________

Mimiki walked with Kakayu down the hall. Kakayu was still very sore and limped a bit. Mimiki helped to support her and escorted her to her room. Kakayu flopped onto her bed and sighed before snuggling with the fluffy pillow.

"Are you feeling any better, Kai?"

Kakayu yawned and sat up. "I think the question is, do you feel any better? Out of all of us conscious people, you've been through the most."

Mimiki pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down. "I'm a little better now that everyone has heard Ishizu and I out and agreeing to help. Thanks for asking." She closed her eyes to try to suppress a yawn. "Now I all can do is wait until morning to face him again. I just hope that I can do something for him…"

Kakayu's mood was hampered by Mimiki's sad eyes. "Your love for him will save him." she assured her.

"You think so?"

Kakayu nodded. "Mimi...after hearing what you had to say earlier, it showed how much you really care about him. Despite the long separation, you never stopped loving him...and even after all that he's done recently, you still love him past his flaws." she said with a small smile.

"You're one tough cookie, girl! If you can still stand by his side after all of that, that's one strong love you have. I admire that and that's why I'm certain that the Marik you love that is buried in that darkness in his heart will feel your love reaching out to him. It's like his sister said, you have to have hope."

Mimiki returned the smile. "Thanks...I knew there was a reason that you were my cousin." she joked.

Kakayu chuckled. "I'm sorry by the way...snapping at your earlier because of…" she said before hesitating. "Kaiba…"

Mimiki's smile transformed back into a frown. "What are you going to do about him? Will you be okay?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't mad at him, but I'll deal with him my way in due time. Right now, my focus is on helping you get your long lost love back to normal." she said with a wink.

Mimiki couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank you, Kai...for everything!"

"Yeah, yeah…you know that I always have your back, regardless of how I feel at the moment." she said. "I know that you can't wait until this is all over. You two have so much to catch up on. You'll both will be able to move on and put this behind you and start over. You'll get to know each other again, but as older teenagers. He's grown up a lot, when you compare him to that picture you have of him in your room. You snagged a cute one, girl!"

Mimiki blushed. "Yeah...he's cute alright...he's so handsome! I can't even begin to tell you how I felt when we were in my room! His cologne, his muscles, those beautiful, memorizing feral lavender eyes! Ahh!" she gushed.

Kakayu snickered. "Well you better work your ass off tomorrow if you want that back! I know that you can't wait to make out and cuddle with your big, tall, sexy chocolate thunder lover of yours! That'll be one hell of a sweet redo reunion!" she teased.

Mimiki's face turned as red as a tomato as she gasped at the thought. 'Chocolate thunder?!' She quickly grabbed one of the pillows at threw it at Kakayu before walking to the door.

"I'm _SO_ done with you for the day! Good night!"

Kakayu burst into laughter and couldn't keep her voice down. "Love you, Mimi!" she said before laughing again.

Mimiki glared at her before exiting, the door clicking locked behind her. Kakayu calmed down after a minute and her smile faded. She thought about the man whose room was down the hall, six doors down. As she reached for the packaged pajamas, she winced and rubbed her back. Her sore head and back served as a powerful reminder of what happened and more importantly, what didn't happen.

_'Good luck, Mimi...we'll both need it.'_

_____________________________________________

Mimiki laid in her bed, staring at the dark ceiling. She had long changed into the comfy purple cotton flannel pajamas. It had been over an hour since everyone had went their separate ways for bed and she couldn't fall asleep. It was the perfect environment to sleep in; the room was warm and the rays of the full moon kept her company, but the one person's company that she wished for was Marik. She sighed and looked at the window bench once again for the upteenth time that night. Her eyes became a little glassy as she slipped out of the bed and took a seat at the window and stared out. They were now flying over the ocean, the skyline of Domino City was now a thinned line in the distance. Mimiki looked over to the spot where Marik and her had been sitting together earlier, the area now cold and empty. Even looking down at the pajamas made her sad; the color reminded her of his eyes. She sniffled and wiped her tears away.

_'I wish that I had let you kiss me back then...why did this have to happen?!'_ she thought. _'I miss you...Marik I want to see you! I wish that I could talk to you right now!'_

She jumped in fright and gasped sharply when she heard soft tapping on her door. Her heart was pounding and she contemplated if she should answer or not. She got up and grabbed the millennium necklace from her nightstand and put in on for good measure, then walked to the door quietly.

"Who is it?" she asked quietly.

"Mimiki, it's Tea. I need to talk to you." she replied.

Mimiki sighed in relief at hearing her friend's voice and opened the door. Tea stood before her, her hair a bit ruffled and with blank eyes. She was dressed in the matching pair of pajamas, but was barefoot, which confused Mimiki. She walked into the room and turned to the long haired brunette.

"Tea, what's wrong? Why are your eyes like that? Are you sick? You're going to get even sicker if you don't wear your shoes around here!"

"Getting physically ill is the least of my worries at the moment…" she replied.

Mimiki noticed that her voice sounded different and started to worry.

"Then what's the problem?"

Tea sighed and Marik's spirit separated from her body, making Mimiki gasp and take a few steps backwards.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you, Mimi."

Mimiki sniffled again, but this time, it was faster. "Marik...it is really you?"

Marik nodded. "Yes, it's me, Mimi. Please don't cry." he said.

"But I can't help it…" she said while crying. "It's you...you're really here!"

She reached out to hug him, but her body passed through his spirit, making reality sit in harder than they would've liked. She started to cry again and he tried to wipe her tears away, but they passed through his finger. He felt awful seeing her cry like that.

"Mimiki...I'm so sorry...I don't know what to else to say...except that I'm happy to see you again. I'm happy that you're not harmed."

Mimiki sniffled while wiping her face, staying silent for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in a shaky voice. "Why didn't you tell me about the carvings on your back? Or your family duty? Or your father…?"

Marik looked down sadly. "Let's sit down and talk, Mimi."

He gestured for her to come and sit at the table and chair set in the middle of the room. Mimiki stared at his spirit, still overcome with mixed emotions. He had made Tea sit in the adjacent seat while kneeled on one knee before Mimiki, as if she was royalty.

"I was so worried about you...I still can't believe that we're talking right now..."

Marik smiled weakly and rubbed his hand over hers, feeling the heat from it.

"I feel the same way, Mimi. I'm sorry about everything...I really am. I didn't tell you about my family duty because it stirred up so much hatred in me...I was in excruciating pain for what seemed like days on end...I didn't want to think about it and what it meant for the rest of my life. When I met you and started spending time with you, I hardly thought about it. You always made me happy."

"Really?" she asked with a small smile.

Marik nodded. "Yes. I was so happy to finally have a friend and you were already afraid when you woke up after seeing my father...dead. When I noticed that you didn't remember what happened, I didn't want to remind you again in fear of losing you. Please understand that I didn't have ill intentions for you. I just wanted a friend." he explained.

"It's okay...I understand. Ishizu explained everything. I'm not mad at you. Everything that happened wasn't your fault."

Marik narrowed his eyes and looked down.

"This is my fault! I allowed my negative feelings to take over and...I created a monster! I let a demon reside in my soul! I killed my father!" he said angrily. "I'm a horrible person! I don't even feel like I'm human anymore! All the things I've done...murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, blackmail, threats, the manipulation, the lying...I'm a monster! I'm so ashamed!" he said sadly. "Odion got hurt because of me! You almost died again because of me, I almost killed your friends and family! Now this demon has taken over my body! I deserve this! I don't deserve to be redeemed! My sins are a mountain high!"

A couple of sobs were heard as he rested his head in her lap. His shame broke her heart and she wished that she could physically comfort him.

"Shhh…" she whispered. He calmed down as he felt her warm hand run through his head.

"Now that you acknowledge what has happened, we can find a way to get your body back. You are regretful of your actions and you're repentant, right?" she asked kindly.

Marik nodded. "Yes…very much so."

"Marik, look at me." she commanded softly. He looked up at locked his lavender eyes with her kind blue ones. She flashed a loving smile at him.

"I know that you're sorry for all that you've done. It'll be okay in the end because...I love you and I believe in you."

Marik cried quietly. He could feel her love warming his spirit.

"I know that you love me...it's just so surreal hearing you say it for the second time…" he admitted, which made her shoot a look of confusion at him.

"The second time? I never had the chance to properly tell you—"

"I was there when Ishizu explained everything. I heard everything through Tea." he said with a small smile. "Thank you for believing in me, for caring about me...for loving me. I don't deserve your friendship...let alone your love. After all that I've put you through, I don't see how you can love me...I don't love myself right now..."

"Marik…" she said softly. "Someone wise told me that love is not a feeling; it's a decision. It's a conscious, unconditional decision to an imperfect person. It's not just a strong feeling. It's a promise and a judgement. We take the good with the bad. Feelings come and go...if love was just a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to stay or to love that person forever. Love isn't easy...it's not meant to be easy. You and I have been through a lot together, and I'm okay with that." she explained warmly.

She put her hand on his cheek, which passed through just a bit, which made them both sad temporarily. "And if you could see the Marik I know and love like I do, I know that you'd come to love yourself, too. I choose to love you, Marik, flaws and all. I'll do my best to help you...I promise."

Marik's spirit shook to his core. For the first time in his life, he was washed with an overwhelming wave of love, a love that could only be found with a soul mate. He wanted to cry, especially when he saw her tear up again. He grabbed her hands and stood up together as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I love you too, Mimiki. Flaws and all." he replied.

He leaned down slowly and they closed the gap between them. The kiss was bittersweet; he could feel her warmth, but she could only feel the room temperature air. A tear slid down her cheek and the two broke apart. He desperately wanted to wipe her tears away.

"I promise that when this is over, I'll never make you cry again."

"You promise?" she asked with a sniffle.

Marik nodded with a smile. "I promise." he said before giving her another kiss on her forehead.

"Mimiki, I know that there is a chance that you'll duel my evil side tomorrow. I don't want you to, but I can't change that. But please promise me that you won't confront him on your own." he pleaded. He looked down to the millennium necklace. "I know that Ishizu gave you the necklace for protection, but I still want you to be careful. His power is growing stronger due to the negative emotions running rampant here. When I saw Ishizu dueling the pharaoh, he prevented me from reaching out to her, but he doesn't know that a portion of my spirit resides in Tea's body. Don't give in to his taunts. Understand?"

Mimiki nodded. "I understand. Now that I've seen you, I can get some sleep. You be careful too, Marik. Don't do anything reckless."

"I could say the same to you, princess." he said with a smirk. "This will be all over soon...then we can start over, okay Mimi? Good night, Mimi. I love you."

"I'd like that a lot. Good night Marik. I love you too."

He smiled at her and then looked her up and down. "That color looks nice on you, by the way."

She smirked at him and waved goodbye. Tea and Marik then exited the room, but not before he gave her one more loving smile. Their spirits were filled with hope.

Mimiki made her way back to her bed once more minutes later after raiding her mini fridge for water and a small snack. Before she got in, she took off the necklace and placed it on the nightstand. After finding a comfortable position to sleep in, she slowly started to drift off to sleep. Suddenly her eyes shot open in realization. _'Did I lock the door?'_ she wondered. _'I'd better check. You can never be too careful!'_

She quickly jumped out of the bed. When she got to the door, there were two buttons: lock and open. She blindly pressed 'open' instead of 'lock'. She instantly cursed herself as she felt the cold air hit her face. _'Nice job, Mimiki!'_

"Fancy running into you here." a chilling and familiar voice said.

Her eyes shrunk in horror and her voice left her. Yami Marik was now standing in front of her door with a wicked smile. Her body froze with the power of the millennium rod.

"I didn't plan on seeing you so soon, but now that I think about it, I think that this is the perfect time for us to catch up, don't you think so too, my love?"

Her body was filling with horror with every passing second. He bent down to her ear, where his smile grew more sinister.

"Speechless, I see...don't worry, my love...we're going to have a great time together. Here in the night sky, no one will hear you scream, but me." he whispered.

With those words, he pushed her body back into her room, the door clicking shut behind them. She mentally screamed. _'MARIK!!! HELP!!!!!'_


	9. The Wages of Sin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:  
>  _'text'_ \- thoughts  
>  _"text"_ \- talking via mind link  
>  ________ - scene change

Yami Marik held the same sinister sneer as he stared at his current victim. Mimiki was still encased in the constricting yellow aura of millennium magic. The only thing she had control over was her facial expressions. He licked his lips as he drank in her fear, his body flowing with more dark magic by the second. He created a mind link with her in order to prevent her from attracting a crowd to her room. No one was going to interfere with his quality time with Mimiki. She could feel her mind being invaded once again and tried to resist, but she succumbed to his power.

_"Beautiful…"_ he whispered as he inspected her. Mimiki glared at him.

_"After seeing you face to face again, I can see why my good side pines for you and all that you are…"_

Mimiki stayed silent in fear of egging him on. He eyed her again, looking her up and down while licking his lips once more.

_"Big and feminine blue eyes, long and silky chocolate brown hair…"_ he said seductively as he traced a finger around her face and in her hair, which made Mimiki cringe. Although she was completely covered up, she wanted desperately to hide her body from his leering eyes, which continued to go south. He frowned at her attire.

_"How lucky for you to wear such unflattering night clothes. It does nothing for your figure. It's like you're a wedge."_

_"BACK OFF, PERVERT!"_ she screamed. _"What do you want?! If you even THINK about trying to sleep with me, you can forget it! Don't touch me you sick prick! I'm not up for grabs!"_ she barked. She struggled to break his control, wishing that she claw his face with her nails. He chuckled again.

_"As much as I want to ravish you, raping you wouldn't be much fun, now would it, Mimi? Especially right now. I have other important things to tend to. You just happened to show me my window of opportunity to spend some much needed quality time with you. I did promise you this, remember?"_ he said with a loathsome smirk. _"Ah, what perfect timing. The gods smile down on us."_

Mimiki scowled. _"There's nothing perfect about this!"_

He took a deep breath as he felt her negative emotions give him more power. He took the opportunity to cup her chin with his strong hand. He leaned in closer, unnerving what small resolve she had left.

_"I don't know why you're fighting this, Mimi. You and I belong together. We always have."_ he whispered in a husky voice. _"I saw the raw look in your eyes when we were together earlier. There's no doubt in my mind that you want me just as much as I want you. Why don't we make up for lost time while we have the night to ourselves…"_

Her eyes widened in refusal and fear. _"No, don't! Stop!"_

He planted his lips on hers, savoring the moment, her warmth and taste while moaning deeply while she struggled with the fact that she was completely defenseless. He strengthened his hold on her by making her respond to his deepened kiss.

_'So this is what my good half has been desiring for so long…I can't say that I blame him.'_

Tears started to fall as she remembered that less than an hour ago, she shared a kiss with the true Marik. Although he was in spirit form and she was robbed of feeling the warmth of his lips while his strong arms were wrapped around her, she still enjoyed the fact that he was with her, even if it was for a short time. She was looking forward to their next, real kiss once this was all over, but now she felt violated. Yami Marik deepened the kiss, then strengthened his hold on her to make her respond with equal passion to his unwanted make out session. Mimiki screamed and cried, her body started to shake.

_'No...this isn't what I wanted! Marik! Help! Save me, please! Anybody!'_

He broke their kiss and reveled in her tears and pain, even in the dark he could see that her eyes were beginning to turn red.

_"I told you, I' AM Marik!"_ he shouted. _"That pathetic piece of my good side is gone! I've killed him already!" he lied, forcing her to believe his words with the power of the rod. _"The pharaoh won't be able to save you or anyone else either! You belong to me now!"__

_'What…?'_ she thought somberly. _'But—he was—he was just—NO!!!'_

He let out a heinous laugh before returning to his initiated make out session, silencing her once again. Mimiki sealed her eyes shut to prevent herself from crying further, but the tears kept falling.

_'NO! MARIK!!!'_ she cried.

Suddenly, Yami Marik found himself steps away from her, panting slightly while she found herself on the floor. She quickly sat up and tried to make sense of what happened.

"Huh?" she muttered. _'I can move again!'_

She looked over her assailant, whose back was facing the door. He was holding his chest in pain, also confused about what had happened. She knew that she couldn't escape, but she knew that she had to grab the necklace at all costs. She quickly jumped up and tried to run for the millennium item, but she found that her arm froze an inch away from touching it. She looked over to see that he used the rod again. Before she could move her left arm two inches, he halted its movement as well. She struggled again, hoping that she could grab it with her foot, but she was too close to the nightstand to attempt the feat. Despair set in again when she felt the mind link connect again and her control over her entire body was slipping away.

_"How fortunate for you…"_ he muttered. _"It seems that your love for my good side was able to push me away momentarily."_

He wasn't going to admit that he was in pain. He loved pain and suffering, but this really hurt his body. He stood up and dusted himself off before walking towards her.

_"Let's see what you were so eager to grab…"_

His eyes stopped on the necklace, making him narrow them in disgust.

_"So my sister lent you the necklace? I'm guessing for protection against me?"_ he asked as they locked eyes with each other. He smirked as an idea came to mind.

_"Let's play a game, shall we Mimi?"_

He released control over her head and she tried her best to be brave again.

_"Leave me alone! I don't want to play any of your sick games! You've already hurt Mai and Joey...you've sealed Marik away in the darkness...what more do you want?!"_

Yami Marik chuckled. _"There's plenty that I want, but you're what I want right now. My good side suffered for three and a half years without his precious Mimi. We grew up and now we have certain needs..."_ he hinted. _"After I kill that self-important pharaoh and your friends, you and I are going to enjoy a comfortable life together while I continue to send other helpless souls to their own personal hell."_

_"I'm not doing a DAMN thing with you!"_ she snapped. _"If I can't beat you, then Yugi will!"_

He snickered again. _"Do you really think that you can beat me?"_ he asked while grabbing her chin again. _"I'll tell you what...if you can beat me in a game, I'll make myself disappear. You'll never hear or see me again. I'll even bring back my good side and you two can live happily ever after. Hell, I'll even leave the pharaoh alone."_

Mimiki held her breath. _"And if I lose?"_

_"You'll die trying, after I have my way with you. Then I'll move on to sending the pharaoh and everyone else on this airship to hell. Do we have a deal?"_ he asked with one hand out, waiting for a binding handshake. He then released his control over her right arm.

Mimiki stiffened at his terms and looked at his extended hand in worry.

_"If you don't, that's fine with me. I'll just make sure to bring you my absolute A-Game to our shadow duel. Let's see how far you get then...especially if we're the first to duel."_

Marik's plea ran across her mind, but right now, she felt like she didn't have a choice. _'I promised that I'd help him and save him...I have to try! I'm sorry, Marik...everyone!'_

_"I accept your terms."_

He chuckled again as they shook hands. _"Making a deal with a demon isn't wise, but you have guts. I like that in my victims."_

Mimiki narrowed her eyes again as she snatched her hand away. _"Shut up!"_

He ignored her and motioned her towards the table where her and Marik had sat earlier. _"Love you too, princess."_

She cringed again as he released her from his magical grip, but kept control over her mouth. She grew more irritated than before once she noticed. She kept a deadly glare on him as she met him at the table and stood across from him.

_"What's this game that you spoke of?"_

_"I'm glad that you asked. It's called…Five Card Kill."_

_____________________________________

After Marik left Mimiki's room, his spirit felt light, warm and free. He was elated that he finally heard the words he had been wanting to hear for the past three and a half years and that no matter what they'd been through, she forgave him, believed in him and loved him. Reminiscing seeing the pure, loving look in her eyes and hearing the gentleness in her voice gave him the chills again. After reconciling, he knew he had to try his hardest to protect her and everyone else. He had to get his body back.

In order to make that happen, he needed some help. He stood in front of door number 3. It belonged to his former enemies: Yugi Mutou and the spirit of the millennium puzzle. Although he heard his words from the group meeting from earlier, he wasn't completely confident if Yugi would help him. His past transgressions started to rear their ugly heads in his mind and Marik tried to shake the negativity from himself.

_'He's helped everyone else...including my victims...why wouldn't he help me now?'_ he thought. _'If I can't convince him to do it for me, then I'll convince him for Mimiki's sake. Ishizu and Odion too. I have to do this!'_

Marik gathered his nerve and made Tea knock softly on the door.

_____________________________________

On the other side, Yugi had been tossing and turning all night. He was restless at thinking about the heavy task that was suddenly placed on his shoulders. He knew beforehand that he had to stop Marik, but now the true villain had emerged and he was more powerful than Yugi had imagined. He shivered at remembering how Mai had fallen victim to his life changing shadow magic and when he fainted trying to shield Mai and Joey from Ra's attack, leaving him with a sore back. The only good thing that came out of it was that he got a nice, deep, yet short nap from it all. His mind spun again just recalling all of the things that Ishizu and Mimiki had explained about their past and connection with Marik. He sighed in frustration.

_'Why did I sign up to do this again?'_ he pondered.

Yami materialized next to the turbulent teen. He was worried about his host and wished to give him some comfort.

_"Because Yugi,"_ he said. _"You have the heart of a pharaoh. You're kind and courageous. You've helped a lot of people so far with various problems dealing with shadow magic. Marik is no exception, like Ishizu stated."_

_"I know, but we've never dealt with anything like this before...this tops Pegasus' soul snatching fiasco. This time, our enemy seems to love making people drop dead, practically! He's sick! If we don't hurry, Mai will die soon!"_ he worried. _"If we don't beat him, he's going to do the same to everyone else! I can't let him hurt my friends! He's done enough!"_

The spirit laid his hand on his vessel's shoulder. _"I understand Yugi, but please realize the faster we deal with the problem, the faster it'll be resolved. If we did the same with Pegasus, I'm confident we can do the same with Marik. Their powers are similar, after all."_

Yugi looked up to the spirit. _"I know but...more is at stake now…"_ he replied.

They sat in silence for a moment until they heard the soft knocking, making them focus their attention to the locked door. They gave each other a questioning look before Yugi cautiously slipped out of bed and walked to the door.

"Yugi…" he heard Tea's soft, feminine voice call out. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly opened the door. She appeared the same way before him like she did when she visited Mimiki. Yugi quickly ushered her inside, as he didn't want to release more of the warm bedroom air into the hallway. After rubbing his arms for warmth, he finally got a good look at Tea.

"Tea...why are you out in your pajamas without any socks on? I'm sure that they hallway floor is just as cold as the air outside. You'll catch a cold!" he worried.

Marik couldn't help but chuckle, as he remembered that Mimiki had said something similar minutes earlier. Yugi noted that Tea's laugh sounded odd.

"Are you already sick?" he asked. "Your voice sounds weird. If you are, we can call Kaiba or Kakayu for some medicine."

"There is no need for that. I'm not sick."

Marik then separated himself from Tea, earning a gasp from Yugi and the spirit. Marik bowed before speaking.

"I apologize if it seems like I've deceived you once again, Yugi, pharaoh."

"Marik! I thought that you were gone!" Yugi exclaimed with a pensive voice.

"In a way, I am, but not entirely." he replied, noting the tense atmosphere in the room. He then kneeled on his knees. Marik felt a sense of irony; after all that he had done, he thought that they would be kneeling before him, not the other way around. He didn't think that he'd be at the mercy of Yugi, but he was hoping that he'd turn into an ally.

"I know that you have no reason to help me, I understand that. I've done nothing but cause you and your friends nothing short of trials and tribulations, but I need your help. Please hear me out."

Yugi and Yami both looked at him with astonishment, with what seemed like an eternal silence to Marik. Yugi felt a little awkward; no one had ever bowed down to him and gave him such respect. At one time, he was frequently on the receiving end of bullying.

"If you won't do it for me, please do it for Mimiki in my place...and your friends...everyone on this airship."

Yugi nodded. "That's not the case, but please, go on."

_____________________________________

_"Five Card Kill…?"_ Mimiki asked.

Yami Marik still held his smirk. _"Yes, Five Card Kill."_

He raised the rod and it shined brightly, blinding Mimiki. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a small clearing of a lush forest. Tall trees could be seen for miles and the bright sunlight leaked through the leaves. The air was fresh and free from human pollution. The forest seemed as if it had been barely touched by human interference. Colorful flowers big and small were nestled in various places, also adding to the fresh scent in the air. She looked around for a moment before taking a couple of steps. The soft dirt soiled her bare feet, disgusting her. She never liked the feeling of dirt between her toes. Pushing her feelings aside, she gave the forest another good look. A feeling of deja vu swept over her.

_'Are we in my imagination?'_ she wondered. _'This forest…it's almost like part of my—'_

"Your ideal sanctuary, right, Mimi?" a familiar voice asked.

Mimiki gasped and Yami Marik appeared before her from a cloud of dark vapor, his arms crossed as a hand cradled the millennium rod. He smirked as she growled at him. 'No wonder it felt so familiar…'

"Now, now. Your scowl isn't fitting of a place as beautiful as this. It is a part of your soul room, after all."

He looked around again and chuckled. "I'm surprised there's no little cute forest creatures or fairies running about. I know that you liked those when we were younger. You used to draw the fairies often."

"You know, I'm getting really sick of you invading my mind!" she spat. "You're not welcome here! Don't act like you know me!"

The tall Egyptian strided towards her in confidence and she stood her ground. "But I do know you, Mimi. How could I not?"

Mimiki blinked and gasped at hearing the familiar voice. Marik was standing before her, giving her a puzzled look that was followed with a smile. They were in a the pathway in Domino City Park, holding hands. The weather was sunny and pleasant, the sun's rays kissed his tan skin, which made her blush.

"Did I mention how beautiful you are? That dress looks really nice you."

She looked down and found herself dressed in a black halter dress with a blue and white hibiscus flower print, which was one of her favorite summer dresses, along with black sandals.

"What…?" she asked, clearly confused, which worried Marik. 'This was one of the outfits I was thinking of wearing when I thought that Marik was going to be in Domino...when did I—'

"What's wrong, Mimi? You're not spacing out on me, are you?"

He looked away to his left and spotted something he knew that they both loved.

"Look," he pointed. "There's an ice cream stand. Do you want some ice cream? How about double strawberry?"

Although confusion was still nitpicking at her mind, the thought of ice cream brought back many memories from Egypt. She smiled and hugged him, which caught him off guard momentarily. Marik wrapped his arms around her while she giggled.

"You know me so well, Marik." she said as they locked eyes.

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?"

Their embrace felt natural to her and slowly, the confusion was forced from her mind. She didn't want to let him go. His gentle smile was one of the things she loved about him; and she knew that his smile was only for her. The world around them seemed to disappear as he planted a small kiss on her forehead, which made her melt in his arms. Her eyes became heavy and subdued. She felt her body becoming more relaxed; she was losing control each second she gazed into his eyes.

"I love you, Marik." she whispered.

Marik replied with a smirk and lifeless eyes. "I love you too, Mimi."

He leaned down closer and closed the gap between them. Dreaming of what would be a soft, loving kiss, something was off.

Suddenly, Yami Marik found himself stumbling backwards and Mimiki's blue eyes slicing him into pieces.

"Nice try, you bastard!" she hissed. She quickly wiped her lips in disgust. "Stop using my feelings for Marik against me! Your kiss is nothing like his! There's no love behind it."

Before he could speak, she cut him off again. "And don't you dare start off with another tangent about how you're the real Marik! I've had enough of your bullshit! Tell me the rules of this game of yours so we can finally end this!"

Yami Marik gave her an unnerving smile. "Have I ever told you how much I love your feisty side?"

Mimiki clinched her fists while keeping her narrowed eyes on him. "The rules. NOW."

He chuckled and folded his arms. "Alright, if you insist, Mimi."

"That's Mimiki to you, asshole. You're not my friend. Now hurry up!"

"Fine, if you insist. Our decks have been spread across the caverns of your mind. We will each search for a powerful card combination that consists of up to five cards. We each have 30 minutes to find our cards."

Mimiki folded her arms. "That sounds simple enough. What happens when we find the right cards?"

"I'm glad that you asked, Mimi." he said, obviously not respecting her wishes. "If the winner finds the cards within the time limit before the other opponent, that person will be killed instantly, hence the name 'Five Card Kill.' If both of us don't find our cards in time, we'll start over and try again until we have a winner." he explained.

_'You'll die trying.'_ his words rang in her head.

Mimiki shuddered at the thought of being killed if she lost, but she knew that she had to try to save Marik. "Fine. Let's get started. I'll win and you'll leave for good! Marik will be able to live his life in peace."

The Egyptian scoffed at her. "If that's what you think, then we'll start now."

A watch appeared on Mimiki's wrist and the counter started counting down. She looked around and ran off on a trail. She knew that she had to summon her Seraph Angel before he could find Ra. _'This is a do or die mission...and I refuse to die! I'll save you Marik, I just have to!'_

He sneered as he saw her fleeting form disappear. He was confident in his victory, he wouldn't need to worry about her angel...he already had four of the cards that he needed in his hand.

_____________________________________

"First off, I want to start off by apologizing for my past transgressions. There aren't enough words to express my apologies. I've done some awful things, to say the least."

Yugi sat up in his bed, attentively listening to Marik as Yami sat beside him.

"Now my sins has put everyone in danger. I had no idea that this dark side of mine even existed. I didn't think that my plans for revenge against you would ever spiral out of control like this. I regret every minute of it." he said sadly.

"Are you really sorry for all that you've done?" Yugi asked.

Marik nodded. "Yes, I truly am. None of you should have to pay for my mistakes. I owe a plethora of apologies to all of your friends and my family."

They all sat in silence for a moment. Yugi had stiffened for a moment, but relaxed once he saw the sincere look of regret and sorrow in his eyes.

"I accept your apology." Yugi replied. He looked over to the spirit, who nodded in agreement. "And as do I, Marik."

Marik was shocked that they forgave him so quickly. He knew that if he were in their shoes, he wouldn't be so forgiving. He felt another spiritual chain break from his body. _'So this is how forgiveness feels...it feels different from when I talked with Mimi, but none the less...it feels good to be understood.'_

"I can't begin to express my gratitude, Yugi, pharaoh. Thank you..."

The two nodded. "Also, could you please not bow anymore? It's feels too awkward for me." Yugi asked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to feel uncomfortable." he said while standing back up.

_"It didn't feel awkward to me…"_ Yami huffed.

Yugi almost broke his neck in an attempt to face the spirit. "YAMI!"

"Is something wrong?" Marik asked in confusion.

Yugi waved his hands around frantically, earning a muffled chuckle from Yami. "It's nothing! Forget about it!" he said with a nervous laugh. Yami snickered quickly before turning to Marik.

"Anyways, you're clearly remorseful for what you've done. When you finally realize that, you deserve a second chance to start over." Yami said. "Your sister said that we had to save the world, and that includes you as well."

The more that Yugi heard that, he knew that he had to stop Marik's evil side. _'Yes...he has to be saved too.'_

"Besides, I don't think that Mimiki would want to be separated from you again now that you two have reunited after all these years. I couldn't let her down. Besides your family, I know that she loves you just as much as they do. They way she defended you earlier was something else!"

Marik smiled at hearing her name. Love filled his eyes and it didn't go unnoticed. It seemed that his soul appeared to be a bit brighter.

"Yes, I know. I love her too." he admitted. "She risked a lot to deal with me. I didn't expect her to be caught up in my war against you, but she did. I also apologize for asking her to keep quiet about our relationship. She really fought for you two, but I didn't listen. I asked her to trust me and then everything started to fall apart. She cares about you all a lot. I couldn't have asked for better friends for her. Thank you for taking care of her."

Yugi blushed a bit, and Yami flashed a satisfied smile.

"Yes, she's quite the fighter, I'll admit." Yami said. "She a great friend and duelist."

"That's my concern. Trust me when I speak from experience, I know that she's a great duelist, but I know there's a chance that she'll duel against my dark side tomorrow. I visited her before I came here. I asked her to be careful and not to be reckless, but I know her; I know how hot headed and determined she can be at times." he said looking towards the door before looking back at them.

"She'll jump in harm's way for her loved ones. Please protect her, for I can't right now! Please do the same for Odion too, because if he kills him, my chances for returning will be eliminated. I want to right my wrongs."

The two nodded in unison. "We understand the circumstances. You're correct, she can be a bit foolhardy at times, but I'm sure that your words have reached her heart." Yami replied.

"Yeah and I don't know what Kaiba has planned for tomorrow. There's five of us left and I'm not sure how he'll make us duel. We'll just pray for the best for this not to end up like a total massacre of Russian Roulette." Yugi replied.

Marik sighed in relief. "Thank you both. I have a little more hope now."

Marik commanded Tea to head for the door. "I'm sorry for disturbing you this late at night. We'll meet again soon. Good night."

"Good night." they replied.

The door closed shut and Yugi locked the door. Yugi stretched before getting back into his bed and nestled into a comfortable position. "Well, we have our work cut out for us. We have to do our best tomorrow. Everyone is counting on us."

Yami smiled at his host. "I'm glad that your courage has returned, Yugi. I'll be right here fighting with you."

Yugi smiled softly before turning on his side. "I know, thank you. Good night."

"Good night, Yugi." he replied with a smile. He then retreated back into the puzzle. Minutes later, Yugi finally fell asleep.

Outside, Marik looked down to Mimiki's room again and smiled. He wished that he could go back and spend more time with her, but he knew that he had to take care of his business. Now that he had Yugi and the pharaoh on his side, he was more confident in getting his body back. There would be time after that to spend with her, he reasoned. He looked forward to making up for their lost time and he wasn't going to let the results of his dark past get in the way of that.

_'Sweet dreams, my love.'_ he thought lovingly, wholly unaware of the danger she was in. Marik started to walk down to another door. He had another person to recruit for his cause.

_____________________________________

Mimiki felt her heart being guided along the grassy path. The smell of salt water soon entered her nose. A minute later, she arrived at a white, sandy beach. The sun was bright and the air was very warm and humid, but there was a gentle breeze that slid across her skin. She wished that she wasn't wearing the Kaiba Corp supplied lavender long sleeved pajamas.

_'At least they're made of cotton.'_ she argued with herself.

She rolled her sleeves up and started searching for her cards. She was certain that her Angelic Aqua Warrior was nearby, but hoped that it wasn't buried in the sand. It looked as if the beach stretched for miles in both directions.

_'This is what I get for loving the beach and ocean a little too much…how am I ever going to find my cards?!'_

Mimiki groaned and wiped the sweat from her forehead. With a glance at the provided watch, she saw that she wasted seven minutes. She groaned again and tried to calm down.

_'Okay, Mimiki...focus! This is your mind, you have control! You don't have to play by his rules and limitations! Focus!'_ she scolded.

She closed her eyes and focused on quieting her spirit.

_'You felt something pull you here to the beach...your cards must be nearby...focus!'_

She started to quell her noisy spirit and listened to the background noise. The waves gentle rolled onto the beach, the wind was sending her a gentle breeze and the sun's hot rays continued to warm her. Out of all of those sounds, the waves were louder than the rest. Another tug was pulling on her heart. She found herself walking blindly in an unknown direction until she felt her feet were wet. She opened her eyes and was met with the vast blue ocean. The sun was shining bright on the surface, but she felt it shone brighter than it should've for a split second, making her blink in confusion. Her heart started to race for a moment, but then calmed down.

_'I guess that it's time for a swim.'_

She looked back down at the watch; 15 minutes were remaining. _'Let's hope that I can find something quick!'_

Mimiki ran into the water and swam out twenty feet from the shore until she swam into a tuft of seaweed that was floating on the surface. Luckily for her, one card was resting on the top of the seaweed; Angelic Aqua Warrior. She grabbed the card and yelped for joy, making her sink under the surface. A beautiful reef and kelp gardens dotted the ocean floor. She was in awe for a moment, until she realized she was underwater. She had sunken down ten feet and tried to swim up to the surface before she rain out of air. Mimiki started to panic; it seemed like she wouldn't make it in time. She choked a bit and accidentally took in a deep breath, but was shocked.

_'I can breathe…?'_

Sure enough, she could breathe underwater and her eyes didn't sting from the saltwater.

_'Sweet! I can breathe underwater!'_ she thought excitedly. _'Well duh, of course I can! It's my imagination, after all. I'm the queen in here! I can do anything I want! The possibilities are endless here!'_

She looked around and saw three blue twinkling lights in different parts of the reef. Another strong feeling fell upon her.

_'Could those be the crystals?' she wondered. She looked at the watch again: eight minutes left._

__'I'm not going to be able to swim across the reef in time...it's time to speed things up!'

She closed her eyes and light enveloped her body,along with streams of bubbles. Instantly, two legs had become one blue, shimmering tail. She swiftly swam around to test out her tail. She grinned from ear to ear; who ever thought that becoming a mermaid was possible? It was a childhood dream come true!

_'Who am I kidding? This is the result of that monster's shadow magic! Anything is possible with that!'_ she scoffed. _'At least this is one good thing he's done right! He's given me the keys to his end and it's time to kick his ass to oblivion!'_

She quickly summoned a purple pouch and stuffed the card inside. She swam down to the first twinkle. There was a blue hand sized clam nestled next to a sea anemone. She quickly grabbed it and opened it, revealing one of her crystal cards. Thankful for her discovery, she stuffed the card into her pouch and swam off to find the other shimmering clam shells. A couple of minutes later, she had four of her cards. With only two minutes left, she started to panic.

_'No! I don't have enough time to find my Seraph Angel Card! He's gonna beat me!'_ she worried. _'What am I going to do?! Marik's counting on me to end this!'_

Suddenly, an intense ray of light shone down on her. She looked up, expecting to be blinded, but was shocked that she could see perfectly. The light was warm and gentle, but her body shivered from the power she felt from it. Mimiki's pouch warmed her hand, prompting her to look at it. It glowed intensely and it started to lead her to the surface. She looked up to the ray of light and a wave of relief washed over her. A smaller orb of light descended from the ray; she knew in her heart that the smaller light had her last card inside of it.

_'Yes! This is it!'_

She looked down at the watch; only ten seconds left.

_'Come on! I need you now!'_

The card continued to descend for a few more seconds and she reached out for it.

5

_'Come on!'_

4

_'Just a little bit more!'_

3

_'I will save Marik!'_

2

_'This is my victory!'_

1

_'I—'_

"Win."

Mimiki gasped and everything instantly went dark and her card lost its light and fell to the ground. She scooted over to the card that was now black. The color drained from her face and she felt Yami Marik's presence behind her. She turned to find him standing in front of Ra, whose mouth was emitting smoke. Yami Marik's mouth was turned up in victory, his arms crossed. Her pupils shrank and hope disappeared from them, which made him happy. He chuckled as he walked to up her.

"You know, you have too much faith in yourself. Did you really think that you could beat me and save your precious Marik?"

Her body began to shake, those all too familiar shakes from when she first saw him again entrapped her. He looked down on her, eyeing her tail and let out a huge laugh afterwards.

"Nice tail." he commented. "You were right. This was your imagination, the possibilities are endless! But I was pulling the strings the whole time. I allowed you to think that you could find your cards in time. I allowed you to embrace the powers of your imagination...but that wasn't going to help you win. I had most of my cards from the beginning...I allowed you to find your cards up until the last one appeared…" he explained with a dark chill in his voice.

"...you cheated!" she screamed, trying to hold back tears. "You cheated! You were never going to fight fair! You're a fucking cheat! I hate you!"

Rage exploded within her, replacing fear. She wanted to beat him until he was red, black and blue. She didn't care how irate she was and how she was stooping down to his level by being this way, but she wanted him gone. She tried to lunge at him, but had forgotten that she was still a mermaid. She fell to the ground with an audible 'smack' and winced. He used the power of the rod to lift her up to his eye level and froze her body again. The rage was replaced by her fear once more. Looking into his eyes, he was clearly unbothered by her and her vain attempt.

"You can't do much without legs, my dear...and no matter how you feel, I got my last card well before you did. I just wanted you to feel like you could win, you know...give you hope...only to snatch it away from you at the very last possible moment. Watching you work hard was very entertaining, I admit. Your determination is admirable...it's a shame that you've ended up in this predicament!" he said with sarcasm lacing his words. "Now your soul is mine to with what I want!"

Mimiki couldn't help but cry. His eyes glowed red, his power growing stronger.

"I warned you not to make a deal with a demon, but you did. You lost!"

He lifted his hand to the air and Ra started to ready his attack. Red and orange fumes gathered in its golden jaw. Mimiki started to panic and cried harder.

"No! It wasn't supposed to end like this!"

"It's like I had told you earlier, Mimi...you'll die trying to beat me." he said calmly.

The energy ball grew bigger and her heart was racing. He held her in place and left her, jumping to the top of Ra's head.

"Oh well…" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "End Game."

With those words, Ra launched his attack at her, and all that was heard was her terrifying scream.

_____________________________________

Back in reality, Mimiki stood with her looking up to the ceiling while Yami Marik watched her. Tears flowed down her cheeks and she could feel her consciousness was being sealed and her soul was slipping away. Marik's plea of her to stay safe flowed back to her. She cried harder for having too much faith in herself and for not listening to him. She thought about how everyone was going to react once they found out what happened. She regretted not wearing the millennium necklace to bed. Her vision blurred heavily and her blue eyes were devoid of life.

_'I never thought that my life would end this way…'_

"Yugi...Kai...everyone...I'm...sorry…Marik...please forgive me...I'm so sorry..."

She closed her eyes and fell to the floor. Mimiki was gone. Just like Mai, the shadows had ensnared her. He left her body lying there in the dark and exited the room. The hallway was dark and lifeless, just like he liked it. He looked down to another room which held his next victim.

_'Now back to business…'_

_____________________________________

Marik had instructed Tea to enter Bakura's room. He knew that he had to stop his evil half, no matter what. It was nice to know that Yugi and the spirit of the puzzle had agreed to help him, but he still felt responsible and wanted to try to handle his mess for lack of a better word, himself. Tea held the millennium ring in her hand, it swayed by her side. Bakura was still resting peacefully. It appeared that the pale boy hadn't moved an inch since being placed there. Marik wished that he could've been resting peacefully in his own room.

_'When this is all over, I promise I'll never take anything for granted again!'_

Before they reached his bed, something struck his heart.

_"Marik...please forgive me...I'm so sorry..." he heard Mimiki's voice cry out._

A dark feeling entered his heart. His chest ached as he looked towards the door; he knew something was wrong and Mimiki had something to do with it. He cursed under his breath. He knew that he had to end this madness now. He quickly ushered Tea to place the millennium ring next to its owner. The ring glowed, prompting the spirit's eyes to open quickly. He took a good look over to Tea and then saw Marik's spirit hovering next to her.

"Bakura." he said calmly.

"Marik." he growled.

_____________________________________

Using the key card that was 'given' to him by the doctor, Yami Marik once again stood over Odion's comatose body, ready and very willing to do away with the man that stood in his way from living.

"The duels might've given you some more time to live Odion, but it's time to die. You'll never hold me back again!" he spat. He pulled the rod from under his cape and unsheathed the dagger, holding it high above his head. Before he could swing down, a voice called out to him.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'll have to step in now."

He growled and turned to the door. The ring glowed in the darkness and Bakura revealed himself.

"The spirit of the ring...how nice of you to visit. What do you want? I'm in the middle of something important, if you don't mind!"

He smirked. "Well, you're half right. I'm not the only one who was just so happened to be in the neighborhood."

Marik's spirit appeared next to Bakura, making him scoff. Marik glared at him, his fists balled. He still couldn't shake the dark feeling from earlier.

"I want my body back and he's going to help me!" he stated.

"And when I'm done with you and Marik gets his body back, I'll be taking the rod off your hands." he stated confidently.

Yami Marik laughed at him and brushed him off. "You're just another idiot trying to collect the items. You mean nothing to me, the both of you! I'm not afraid of you two!"

He quickly used the rod against them, slamming them into the wall. He proceeded to kill Odion again, but was stopped by the power of the ring. Bakura rubbed his shoulder; he was still sore and that wall didn't help him at all.

"And we're not afraid of you, either."

The two waged a quick battle between their items, both not giving into the other.

"It seems like we're equally matched." Yami Marik pointed out.

"Yes, it seems so. Why don't we settle our grievances with a duel?"

Yami Marik was pissed that he was stopped again from killing Odion, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, he could get rid of both of them at the same time. Besides, he knew that Odion wasn't in any position to go anywhere.

"That sounds great. A nice shadow game will do nicely." he replied.

"I'm glad you agree. Why don't we step outside…"

_____________________________________

Yugi was fast asleep, the millennium puzzle resting on the pillow beside him. Yami too, had his eyes closed as he rested inside the crypt of his mysterious mind. Joey was sharing his room with Tristan and Duke, all of them asleep as well. Joey shared the bed with Tristan while Duke took refuge on the long couch that was under the large windows. It was a little narrow, but luckily for Duke, he was skinny enough to make it work. Kakayu was nice to enough to find and give him an extra pillow and fleece blanket. It wasn't his big bed, but since Kaiba spared no expense on the building materials, the couch was rather comfortable.

Joey was mumbling in his sleep. Even in his dreams, he wanted to protect Mai. She appeared to him in his dreams, looking healthy and happy.

_"Mai! I'm so happy that you're okay!"_

_The blonde duelist smiled sweetly at him._

_"You have a lot more things to worry about than just little ole me."_

_"But Mai—"_

_She was instantly snared by the shadows and thrown back onto the stone tablet that Yami Marik had used against her earlier._

_"Joey!" she screamed as the tablet pulled her away._

_"MAI!" he screamed._

_He watched helplessly as she disappeared. He balled his fists and closed his eyes._

_"MAI! I SWEAR IMMA SAVE YOU!"_

While he and his roommates were left with their dreams, Serenity had fallen asleep while watching over Mai. One of the side tables held her up in a somewhat comfortable position. Half of Tea's body was slumped over Bakura's empty bed, totally unaware of where she was, lightly snoring her night away.

Down the hall in room 1, Kaiba stared at the bright computer screen in the dark intensely while Mokuba was asleep in a nearby chair, Kaiba's long white trench coat acting as his blanket. It had been hours since he was studying Ra and off in his own thoughts. Ra's card image stared him in the face, but he just found himself staring and not reading. He finally broke out of his trance and looked toward his door for that seemed like a million times that night. Down the hall, there was another person that was tying up this thoughts.

He regretted using Obelisk against Kakayu; he didn't know what came over him. He never wanted to hurt her. Replaying the scene where he saw her body slam into the railing and fainting made him cringe. He heard she was okay, he made sure that the doctors took great care of her.

_'But why didn't you go and see her yourself?'_ he questioned himself.

After an awkward pause, he finally answered himself. _'I don't know…'_

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Staring into the blue screen was doing a number on his eyes. The time was nearing 2 AM.

_'After what I did, I bet she hates me…'_

He quickly used the computer again to see that they were nearing their destination in about four hours. There, the second half of the finals would commence and he would be dueling for the last two god cards and the title of King of Games, which got him into deep trouble in the first place.

_'Love or power?'_ he questioned again.

He looked toward the door again and sighed. His feelings were turbulent once again and he _hated_ it. He hated how a card game, a rivalry and a girl could make him this crazy. He turned the screen off and guided Mokuba to the other bed in the room. He rolled his eyes at Mokuba for not changing into his pajamas earlier like he told him to, but the boy was eager to research Ra with him. He removed Mokuba's shoes and vest and tucked him in. Now it was time that he did the same.

_____________________________________

Up on the dueling platform, the three teens had been going at their shadow game for a while. The same as before, purple and black clouds surrounded them. The penalty for losing life points was that a portion of your body was lost to the shadows.

They had thrown blow after blow at each other and Bakura was taking too many risks with their life points, which Marik wasn't happy about, along the the dark feeling that he still couldn't shake off. Their attitudes caused them to bicker with each other, which was just fine with Yami Marik. Later, Yami Bakura managed to take Ra from Yami Marik and sacrificed three powerful monsters to add to its power, but those moves were in vain once Yami Marik used a trap card to strip the three monsters of their power before Ra was fully summoned. The stolen attack points were added to his life points, giving him 8850 points. Ra was destroyed by one of Yami Marik's monsters.

Marik was angry, to put it lightly. It seemed to him that this duel would never end. To him, it seemed like his luck was never turning out in his favor, and Mimiki's well being was eating at him even harder. His dark half sensed his frustration and decided to do one of the things he did best; meddle. He grabbed the rod, which was looped on a back belt loop, and the eye glowed lightly.

"You know what," he started off. "I think that you have too much faith in people and in yourself."

Marik frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, it's simple, really. You're relying on the spirit to help you win your body back. You had faith that when Mimiki was dead years ago, that the spirit that taunted you wasn't really her…you almost set me free then, but thanks to you knowing her true spirit and your faith, you stopped me from killing Odion and Ishizu!" he admitted.

Marik's eyes shrunk. Memories from that awful day flooded his mind. He never wanted to relive that day in his life, when Mimiki died because of him and that he was almost supernaturally coerced into killing his siblings while being mentally and emotionally tortured by 'Mimiki'. "That was you?!"

Yami Marik nodded. "Yes...you stopped me then, but you won't stop me now! You had faith back then, and now you have faith that you can stop me right now...ha! Look at the mess you're in! It's pitiful!"

Marik growled; he had a point. They weren't in the best position to win, but he couldn't let that put him down. "True, but no one can do anything by themselves!"

His evil half laughed at him. "Well, that might be true for some people, but not me! Funny that you said that...it reminds me of something...or rather...someone…"

Marik stiffened and the dark feeling started to grow stronger, which his evil half could feel as well.

"Let me put your mind at ease…"

The sound of a chime interrupted their duel. They all turned towards the direction of the elevator, wondering Who could be coming up to the roof at this time of night.

"Who's that?" Marik asked.

The footsteps became louder and a figure finally came through the shadows. Marik's heart jumped a beat when Mimiki appeared, her eyes looking towards the ground. Dressed in her pajamas and barefoot, she stopped in front of Bakura and Marik, still looking away.

"Mimi! What are you doing here?! It's too dangerous! Go back to your room!"

Mimiki looked at him as Yami Marik smiled. Marik's heart dropped when his eyes met hers. They were blank and devoid of will. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears.

"Dear Mimi, come here." Yami Marik commanded.

Mimiki made her way towards him as he welcomed her with open arms. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she cuddled against him, closing her eyes. He covered her body with his cape so she wouldn't get cold.

"I thought that I'd spice up this duel by inviting an honorary guest. Isn't that right, Mimi?"

Mimiki slowly nodded in agreement. Marik gnashed his teeth.

"You...you monster! Why are you doing this to her?!"

"Mimi here thought that she could save you all by herself."

Time stopped for a moment in Marik's world. "What are you talking about?!"

"She made a deal with me and we played an alternate version of a shadow game. Long story short, she lost and this is how she ended up like this. Her body and soul belong to me…" he said while rubbing his hand through her hair.

"I trapped her in the darkness...and to think that she thought that she could beat me...to save her precious Marik. She had faith in herself...it was her love for you that's gotten her in a hell of a lot in trouble! Now she's one dead, mindless puppet!"

He let out another loud laugh and Marik's eyes turned into slits.

_"Marik...please forgive me...I'm so sorry..."_

Her words kept running through his head. 'She sacrificed herself to save me...Mimi! I told you not to do that! You promised me that you wouldn't confront him on your own! Why did you do that?!'

He could only imagine what she went through during the shadow game and how she lost. Tears flowed down his face, his body riddled with trembles. He loved her, but he never wanted her to sacrifice her life to save him from his demon. A bomb exploded inside him.

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

He lunged at his evil half, forgetting that he was nothing but a ghost and went right through him. He laughed at the pathetic attempt and sent him flying back to Bakura.

"I don't know why you're pitching a fit about this, Marik. It's not like you've never done this to anyone...you've been doing it for the last year to all those you've come across. Mimi is no different! Her sacrifice is part of the wages of your sins and hers! You made me...she made a deal with a demon...you both will pay for your sins! How you both will pay for those sins...is up to me!"

He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head up, placing a kiss on her forehead then one on her lips again, making Mimiki shed a single tear. He could feel Marik's heart break into a million pieces and loved feeling his pain. Marik thought back to how he also kissed her forehead in her room before the finals started and how he should've taken the opportunity to kiss her sweet lips then. Sure they kissed earlier, but it wasn't the same now that he wasn't corporeal. He only felt the warmth of her lips just a short time ago; he felt dead inside. Now another man, his self created demon, was experiencing something he had been aching to do since he kissed her for the first time all those years ago. Every kiss they shared was precious to him and although they didn't admit their feelings for each other until long after their first kiss, he knew that her kisses were only meant for him. It killed him even more seeing the misery in her eyes as he kissed her. Yami Marik deepened the kiss, making her respond with the same passion again, then broke it and looked at up at Marik.

"...Don't touch her!" he growled. "Stop forcing yourself on her!"

_"Marik...please forgive me...I'm so sorry..."_ her voice echoed again.

"I'm not forcing myself on her. She likes this, don't you Mimi?"

Mimiki replied again with a mindless nod. "What's wrong with her getting a kiss from the man she loves?"

"She doesn't love you! She loves me!" he shouted.

"I' am you!" he shouted. "You can't love someone's good side without loving their flaws!"

With those words, Yami Marik started his turn. He used monster reborn and summoned Ra. He used a hidden ability that even the good Marik didn't know about: One Turn Kill. He transferred almost all of his life points to Ra, leaving him with only one point. He fused with the monster and prepared to launch his attack.

"And the wages of sin is...death." he announced. The energy grew bigger and it commanded Ra to launch its attack. Bakura's monsters were destroyed in the fiery blaze and Bakura and Marik followed suit. Their life points dropped to zero and the field was clear. Mimiki shed one more tear before she was sent back to her room. After getting back to her room, she dropped dead down to the floor again.

_____________________________________

Tea had awoken to find herself in Bakura's room. Startled about her location and Bakura's missing body, she left to wake Yugi and explained everything to him. Yami took over for Yugi was went upstairs, only to find Yami Marik wearing Bakura's ring. Tea stayed behind to find a jacket, but was stopped once Marik took over again. They ran off to Ishizu's room, who had just awoken due to a nightmare. She dreamt of hell fire and that her brother was trapped in it, trying to shield himself from the flames. Before she could make sense of the nightmare, the knock on her door grabbed her attention. She got up to answer, to find Tea there.

"Tea? What is the matter?"

Marik spirit quickly separated from her body, earning a gasp from his sister. "Marik?!"

"Sister!" he cried. "There's no time to explain! I need your help! Now!" he pleaded.

After receiving an unwelcome confrontation from the pharaoh, Yami Marik made his way back to Odion's room. He unsheathed the dagger again and was ready to kill him...until he realized that his body wasn't there to be stabbed. His eyes widened with intense anger.

"NOT AGAIN!" he screamed.

_____________________________________

The morning sun came quickly and shone brightly into Kakayu's room. After a while, she stirred awake and stretched before getting ready for the day. She had a lot to do, seeing that she was still a commissioner. She had to oversee the breakfast supervision and make sure that the next dueling stage preparations were set. The only thing she was excited about was the breakfast prep, seeing that Kaiba had put her in charge of the food. That was a perfect time to avoid him. She was still upset that the CEO hadn't checked up on her and didn't know what to say to him, but she knew one thing that was for sure; she was mad enough to cuss him out if he said anything stupid to her.

Not wanting to let that derail her day, she left the room and went down to the kitchen. After completing her task, she went back to do what she did best: wake up Mimiki. While walking to her door, she could hear the others getting ready for the day and she got a little more excited for the day's festivities.

_'Just because I'm out of the tournament doesn't meant that I can't have fun. Everyone will be dueling, so I can cheer them on...and if Kaiba gets his ass handed to him by Yugi or Mimi, it'll make my day! If it's Joey instead…'_ she thought with a snicker. _'I'll never let him live that down! He'll get what's coming to him! Asshole!'_

She finally arrived at Mimiki's room and knocked on the door. "Mimi? Are you up?"

After a few seconds, there was no response, so she knocked again.

"Mimi? Don't tell me you're still sleeping! It's time to rise and shine!"

She quickly pulled out the master key card and opened the door.

"Mimi, get —"

She stopped dead in her tracks once she saw Mimiki on the floor.

"MIMIKI!" she screamed.

She ran to her and checked for signs of struggle and wounds. After seeing that there weren't any signs, she checked her heartbeat and screamed.


	10. The Fallen Hero

Everyone ran into the room to find Kakayu crying over her cousin's body. The doctor was called once again. Tristan and Joey gently placed her back in her bed while the doctor prepared to run tests on her. Everyone stood there, confused on how Mimiki ended up the way she did. Her body was cold, her cheeks were tear stained and she was a little pale. She didn't respond to any simulation from the boys moving her into her bed, which worried them even more.

"Is she allergic to anything?" the doctor asked.

"No!" Kakayu replied.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"For the last time, NO!" she screamed. "She's almost an adult and you're thinking that she ate something that she shouldn't have?! Don't act like she's a child!"

The doctor was shocked that Kakayu tried to rip his head off. He was only doing his job.

"Kai, I know you're upset, but you have to calm down." Joey said.

Kakayu whipped around quickly on the back of her heel. "Calm down? Calm down?! Whenever in the history of telling people to calm down has _ACTUALLY_ made the person calm down?!" she shouted. "I'd like to see how calm you'd be if you found Serenity just like I found Mimiki!" she yelled with tears in her eyes.

Instead of yelling right back at her, he just embraced her in a hug. She started to shake and returned the hug. She started to cry again as she gripped the back of his shirt in her fists.

The doctor inserted an IV into each arm, then ran other basic tests.

"The good news is that she's still alive, but barely. Her body temperature is a little lower than it should be and her heart rate is low. I'm suspecting that's from her being on the floor. I don't know how long she's been on the floor. When was the last time you've spoken with her?"

Kakayu broke Joey's embrace.

"I talked to her right before we went to bed...around 11 PM...she helped me get to my room. Then we talked for a minute before she left…" she said in between sniffles. "I know that she was worried about Marik...but I don't know how she could've ended up like this...she would never hurt herself!"

The doctor nodded. "Yes, I understand. From the looks of it, she appears to be in a comatose state, just like the other patients from earlier. I don't understand how she's ended up like this, since your duels had ended early last night and there was no trauma to her head, or any other area of her body for that matter."

He turned back to Mimiki and grabbed a vial of her blood from her IV. He cleaned her arm and made sure that she was comfortable.

"I took a blood sample to test for any abnormalities. I should know the results in an hour. I will contact you Ms. Hikami once I have my results."

Everyone nodded. "Thank you, doctor." she replied.

The doctor excused himself from the room and it grew silent for a moment,

"There's our answer right there." Yami said, causing everyone to look at him. "You heard what the doctor said. Our duels ended early last night. The quarter finals are over and we're suppose to compete in a semi-final today, along with the finals, correct?" he asked, looking over to Kakayu, who nodded in response.

"Yes...we planned for a free-for-all style, if you will. One person will be eliminated and the four remaining duelists will compete in another duel. We'll have two more duels after that before we have the final." she explained.

"Hmm...I see…" Yami replied. "After we all went to bed, anyone hear anything?"

Everyone nodded sadly.

"I think that everyone was out cold...I know that I was!" Tristan said.

 _'All I had was a nightmare…'_ Kakayu thought. She didn't want to admit that she spent all night dwelling on Kaiba.

Ishizu quickly cleared her throat and walked to the front of the crowd. "I believe that I can lend some assistance and clear some of the air in here about Mimiki."

She grabbed the necklace and put it back on with a sad sigh before turning back to the gang, more specifically Tea. The serious look that the older Egyptian woman gave her made her uncomfortable. Tea had been uncomfortable from the very beginning; she had somehow ended up in Bakura's room, was still sleepy and to top it all off, her body was sore for some odd reason.

"Allow me to explain."

She turned back to Mimiki and tapped the air above her as if she was tapping on a glass surface, showing a swirled black and purple barrier that flashed for a few seconds before disappearing, earning a gasp from everyone.

"Mimiki has fallen victim to shadow magic. She lost a shadow game to my brother's dark side."

"But how do you know that? I found her here on the floor…" Kakayu said. She shuddered just thinking about it again.

Ishizu placed her hands around her necklace and strained a bit. The necklace had stopped working after she dueled Yami, but she was hoping that it would work for her one more time. Luckily, it started to glow. The room changed and started to show a snippet of the past. Everyone stared in amazement of the powers of the necklace; never did anyone think that it could show other people besides the wielder the events of the past and future. The figures of Yami Marik and Mimiki passed through them at times, just like ghosts. It showed everyone when Mimiki accidentally opened the door to when she lost the shadow game. When the girls, especially Kakayu, saw Mimiki's body hit the ground, she covered her mouth in shock, but had a hard time trying to stop herself from sobbing. Joey embraced her again while Tristan tried to help console her. Serenity was also trying to prevent herself from crying and Tea was nauseous, also covering her mouth. Duke was disgusted and Yami's face was grim, his fists balled tightly. The vision disappeared as quickly as it came. Ishizu continued to stare at Tea, who could feel her eyes drilling into her as she rubbed her shoulders.

"The reason that your body is aching is because you assisted me in moving Odion's body last night." she explained.

"I did WHAT?!" she shrieked. "No, no, no, I was...uh...talking to Yugi and uh...I went to get a jacket and uh…" she tried to explain, but couldn't fill in the gaps in her memory. "Oh dear…" she said, face palming herself. _'Is this how college kids feel like after a night of wild partying and drinking?! If so, I don't want to be apart of it when I finally go!'_

"The reason you don't remember anything is because a piece of Marik's spirit lays dormant inside you. It has ever since he used the power of the rod on you back at the harbor."

Everyone looked over to Tea, who was wide eyed in shock.

"I apologize. I'm sure that you feel violated…"

Tea started to panic and felt self-conscious. "Violated...VIOLATED?! THAT DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW!"

"Again, I apologize on behalf of Marik. At this time, he didn't mean any harm, I assure you. He visited me last night in your body. He caught his dark side attempting to murder Odion. Also, he had just attempted to duel his dark side with Bakura and they lost, unfortunately. After he lost, he quickly came to me and asked for assistance to moving Odion's body to my room." she explained. "If his dark side is able to kill Odion, Marik would be lost in the darkness forever. The scriptures on Odion's cheek had served as a containment spell that had sealed Marik's dark side. Now that he's unconscious, he's able to roam free; hence why murdering Odion is so important to him."

She looked to the young brunette with a sympathetic look and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please understand, Tea. Marik no longer means any of you any harm anymore. He wishes to protect the people that he loves."

Tea looked up to Ishizu with turbulent eyes, but she found herself more understanding than she thought she would be.

"I...understand…" she replied quietly. Ishizu gave her a smile of thanks. She looked back to Mimiki and her heart sank even lower than expected. She almost felt as if she wanted to cry. _'Is it possible that I can feel Marik's emotions too?'_ she thought.

"What should we do now?" Tristan asked.

Yami's fists tightened and his brows furrowed as he looked to the ground. Joey, who was still embracing Kakayu, looked up with fire in his eyes.

"We fight!" he answered. "Yug and I will duel until the very end! Marik has to be stopped!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. "He's ruined everyone he's dueled…" he said, thinking about Mai and Mimiki. "We can't let their fights be in vain! We gotta stop him and bring Mai and Mims back!"

"Yes Joey," Yami replied. "Whether it's you or me, we have to stop him. Everyone is counting on us."

"Yes! You two have to beat him!" Kakayu said. "The second half of the finals is supposed to start in an hour. We should be landing soon. If you have an appetite, you all can go and eat breakfast and then prepare to duel. I'm going to talk with Kaiba in the meantime about Mimiki, okay?"

Everyone nodded and started to head for the door.

"But before we all part," Ishizu interrupted. "I believe that hiding Odion in my room is only a temporary solution. Can I ask for the assistance of the young men to move him again before breakfast? I'm confident that he knows that Odion is missing. I'd like to move him back to his room. I believe that he'll think that we would hide him in his original room."

All of the boys nodded. "Yeah, we'll help you out." Joey replied.

"And if he got into Odion's room, I'll deactivate his key card and the doctor's master key card to stop him before I go and talk to Kaiba."

Ishizu bowed. "Many thanks, everyone. I eternally grateful."

Everyone nodded and started to leave the room, all that could be heard was footsteps and the beeping medical equipment. Serenity and Kakayu were the last to depart, but beforehand, Serenity placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay, Kakayu?"

Kakayu sniffled and now she was the one with the tear stained face as fresh tears fell wildly.

"Yeah, I'll be okay…" she replied. "I have to be...I have to be strong for her...for everyone…"

Serenity was kind enough to hug the older teen as she sobbed again. She also joined in with her sorrow, shed some tears and sighed.

_'Today is going to be a long day…'_

\------------------------------

While everyone had gathered in the dining hall to eat breakfast, Kakayu had thanked Serenity for her kindness and left deactivate the key cards and to find Kaiba. Her emotions turned her into a ticking time bomb. She was hoping to talk Kaiba into cancelling the rest of the tournament, but she knew that was wishful thinking. She knew that someone had to beat him, but another part of her just wanted this to be over and wished that it never happened.

When she arrived at his door, she clinched her fists and swallowed hard. She waited a moment before knocking, but before her hand made contact with the door, it slid open.

"Ah! Good morning, Kai!" Mokuba's cheery voice said. "I was just thinking about you! How are you feeling? Better I hope! I heard that Mimiki wasn't doing too well. Is she okay?"

Kakayu was frozen for a moment. Her heart starting racing when the door opened, as she thought that she would be face to face with Kaiba. Seeing Mokuba calmed her down a bit. She soon gave him a small smile of thanks.

"Good morning, Mokuba. I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"I was worried about you. When I came to check up on you, you were still unconscious. I heard later that you were with everyone else once you woke up."

Kakayu nodded. "Yeah, Mimiki was with me until I woke up and we left to talk with the others. Thanks for checking up on me! I appreciate it. You've always been so sweet, Mokuba! You're like a bright ray of sunshine!"

Mokuba blushed and rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Thank you!"

Soon, an awkward silence set in and Kakayu cleared her throat.

"Is...your brother in there?"

 _'Ouch…'_ he thought. _''Your brother?' She's not happy…'_ he thought.

"No, he left a while ago. I think he's in the cockpit with Roland and the pilot."

She sighed in relief, but her heart was still pounding at the thought of seeing him.

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you at breakfast!" she said quickly before running off.

Mokuba reached out to her, but couldn't say anything. _'I hope that they make up…'_

\------------------------------

Kaiba stood in the expansive cockpit with his arms crossed, staring out to the sapphire colored ocean and the brilliant sunset. In central view was a futuristic looking tower on a small island. He stared intensely at the final destination of his tournament.

 _'Everything will be settled here…'_ he thought.

While he was absorbed in his thoughts, the door had slid open. Ben and Roland had turned to their visitor.

"Ah, Miss Hikami, good morning." they said in unison.

Kaiba sniffed, but didn't turn to her.

"Good morning, Roland, Ben." she replied with a small smile. She then looked on to Kaiba's back, who still hadn't turned around to greet her, which annoyed her further.

"We need to talk." she said sternly, which shook his seemingly unshakable core. Even Roland's and Ben's core shook as well. They were both married and they never liked it when their wives uttered the dreaded phrase.

"Roland and Ben, would you give us a minute, please?"

"Y-yes, of course, Miss Hikami. We'll be outside if you need our assistance." Ben replied.

They quickly gave the control panel one quick lookover and left the room, leaving the two trapped in an intense air.

"I see that you're doing well." he said still with crossed arms. "I knew that the doctor would have you back to your normal self." he said cooly.

Kakayu's eyes narrowed. "As if you care, anyway!" she spat.

Kaiba mentally sighed. _'And here we go…'_

"You didn't even have the common courtesy to come to check up on me! Even Mokuba came to see me!" she said a little harsher than she meant to.

"You were the reason that I ended up practically bedridden for the night! Don't you care about me or how I feel?!" she yelled, tears threatening to fall.

Kaiba stood silent, but eyed her from the corner of his eye.

"I know that you heard about Mimiki! You didn't even come to see how everyone felt! This stupid tournament of yours is becoming a slaughterhouse! People are getting hurt left and right and are being targeted for murder and you don't seem to care!"

He gripped his arms tighter than he expected and finally turned to her with an icy glare.

"Don't act like this is all my fault!" he yelled. "You need to be yelling at that woman Ishizu and her deranged brother! Everyone being bedridden is a fluke! No one gets hurt over a card game!"

Kakayu snapped. "A FLUKE?!" she screamed. "I have a lump and a bruise to disprove your theory! Because of Mimiki, Bakura's out, because of Marik, Odion, Mai and Mimiki are damn near dead and because of _YOU_ , I had to be treated for injuries! How is that a fluke?!"

Kaiba's eyes grew icier. His ego started battling over love and power, right and wrong, glory and condemnation. He knew that he was wrong to not check up on her, but he couldn't bring himself to see the damage that he had caused and the look of hurt in her eyes that he actually had physically hurt her. He felt that she was attacking him and grew defensive; that she didn't understand what his thoughts or what he was going through. He thought that she would never feel the humiliation that he felt when he fell from glory.

"You're fine, aren't you?!" he roared. "And those other duelists couldn't handle the conditions that I had set up for the tournament! Plain and simple!"

"The conditions didn't include hospitalization! You need to cancel the rest of the tournament before someone else gets hurt!"

Kaiba snapped and saw red and quickly turned to face her.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" he roared. "I'm _THIS_ close to winning all the god cards and reclaiming my former glory and you want me to _CANCEL_ the rest of the tournament?!"

Kakayu balled her fists and gnashed her teeth. The anger that exploded within made her shake to the point that she wanted to cry again. The room seemed to be getting hotter by the second.

"Is that _ALL_ you fucking care about, Kaiba?! You're worried over something so trivial that you're ignoring the well being of others?! Their lives are on the line! They need to be in an actual hospital, not some pop-up hospital stand!" she screamed.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't hire mediocre employees nor buy cheap, faulty equipment of any kind! The doctor is one of the elite from the medical team at my hospital! He's done his job so far so they'll be just fine!" he spat.

"And my former glory isn't trivial at all! Don't act like you understand anything about it! I finally have Yugi and now Marik where I want them and I will crush them both and be crowned king on the top of my tower!" he screamed while pointing to the looming tower.

"You're risking people's lives over a stupid card game and trying to settle an old score with your rival! You're acting like a child! Get over it! Besides, without Mimiki, the free for all is compromised! Marik's evil half has hurt her in an unscheduled duel! She fought and tried to turn him back to normal and she can't duel anymore! She's just like Mai now!"

Kaiba's glare grew colder and he scoffed, his heart was growing colder. He ignored her jab at saying that he was acting childish.

"If she didn't mess around and fall in love with that crazy Egyptian and his even crazier family, she would still be in the tournament! Her injuries are her fault! She was stupid to think that she could make a difference and save him. She's been hanging around Yugi too damn much! This is nothing more than a fatal attraction! If she wanted to be stupid, this is what she deserves!"

Kaiba quickly felt stinging pain on his cheek, his pale skin now red and throbbing. He had stumbled a few steps and rubbed his cheek, surprised as he looked to his assailant. Kakayu was crying, but glaring violently at him. Her fist was shaking and her hand was throbbing.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" she screamed. "So what if she loves him?! Everyone has problems and she just wanted to help him! He's her best friend! She's not stupid, she's caring! And that—" she said pointing her finger at him. "Is more than I can say about you! You only care about yourself, you selfish bastard! I'm supposed to be your friend, yet when _YOU_ hurt _ME_ , you don't care enough to check up on me or care understand that I'm living in a nightmare right now! Hell, even Serenity is more concerned about my well being, and we just met yesterday! You're a selfish prick! I hate you!" she screamed through tears.

"I hate you!" Those words shook Kaiba more than he wanted to admit. _'I knew it…'_

Kakayu held the same furious glare, her cheeks now tear stained. There was not one drop of regret in her eyes. For once, she wanted him to be hurt. She wanted him to know how she had been feeling for a while. She had been stabbed in her heart and her love for him was sinking. A creepy, dead feeling of calm washed over her and she wiped her tears away.

"I'm going to help and look over everyone, with or without you. Do what you want. I'm leaving."

With that, she turned and left for her room to deactivate the key cards, leaving Roland and Ben to quietly, but cautiously walk back into the room. They had heard Kakayu's discordant words and felt sorry for the young couple. They were accustomed to hearing Kaiba dominate arguments, but they never thought that they would see the day when someone would leave the stoic CEO speechless nor did they think they would ever hear Kakayu, who they thought as a like brash, but kind girl, ever explode in the manner she did. Kaiba didn't seem to notice them, as his eyes were still dreaming about Kakayu's fleeting form, her glare stabbing him multiple times.

_'What have I done…?'_

Roland coughed to grab Kaiba's attention.

"Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba still stood there in a daze. He coughed once again. "Mr. Kaiba."

Kaiba quickly turned to them and tried to hide his emotions. He felt like his heart shattered like glass, but hardened into solid ice.

"Mr. Kaiba, is there anything else you'd like for us to do?"

Kaiba stood silent for a moment before answering.

"Prepare for landing."

\------------------------------

Breakfast was silent and tense. Despite the elegant spread of pancakes, meats, fruits and juices that was nothing short of fantastic in taste and presentation, no one was eager to consume it like the dinner they had the night before, but they knew that they had to eat as much as the could to avoid fatigue. As Yugi dropped his plate into the dish bin, the speaker chimed.

"Everyone, please prepare for landing." Ben commanded.

Everyone quickly ran back to their rooms to prepare. After grabbing his duel disk, Joey stopped by Mai's room. He stared down to the blonde duelist. He stiffened; she looked the same as she did the night before. He gently moved a piece of hair from her forehead. Just like Mimiki, she didn't move from the light stimulation from his hand.

_'I'll save you, Mai...I'll save you and Mims...I promise.'_

While the blimp started to begin its descent, he bent down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before heading out of the room.

_'I promise that I'll never take you for granted again.'_

\------------------------------

Ishizu had returned to her room after breakfast and stared out of the window during the descent while she sat on the couch. A sad sigh escaped her lips.

 _'Marik…'_ she thought sadly. _'The final battle is about to begin. You must be saved from the evil that's controlling you! I pray that the pharaoh will be victorious and you'll return to us.'_ she hoped.

_'I'm exhausted...I just want for all of us to live in peace and to live a normal life...I want us to be happy...how much longer will we be forced to live in this manner?'_

She stood up to take a drink from the cup of lavender tea that was lying on the table and was interrupted by a knock on her door. _'Who could that be?'_

"Come in."

The door slid open and her dear brother strolled in with his dark cape flowing behind him, prompting Ishizu to take a step back and glare.

"You!" she said.

Yami Marik on the other hand, smirked. "Is that any way to greet your brother in the morning, dear sister?"

"You fail to realize that I don't consider you my brother, cretin."

Yami Marik chuckled. "You, my good side and Mimi sound like a broken record. I am who I am. I'm Marik!" he said before walking towards a window.

"Were you enjoying the view outside? I was just up on the stratos deck, getting some fresh air. Since you're out of the tournament, you can spend your time up there relaxing or watch the finals."

The young Egyptian turned to her. "But enough with the pleasantries." he said while he grabbed for the rod. "I know you have something to do with Odion's disappearing act. Where is he?" he asked, pointing the rod at her.

Ishizu stiffened. Although she had the millennium necklace on her person, she wasn't sure if it was going to work on her behalf again. Yami Marik didn't know that it had stopped working, but she wasn't going to let him figure that out.

"Don't you dare point that thing in my face! I'm under the protection of the necklace, so your attack would be futile! Also, I'm fully aware that you're behind the evil that has stricken Mimiki! How dare you! You're sick! You even forced yourself on her!"

He replied with an evil chuckle.

"Yes, that's correct. But it was all her fault. I saw that you had given her the necklace for protection, but she wasn't wearing it when I stopped by. She had happened to open her door when I was passing by. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have some private, intimate time with my woman."

"She's not your woman and you know that!" she retorted.

He ignored her comment and continued. "The pretty, yet foolish girl made a deal with me, thinking that she could beat me and save my good side. I had to show her who was in charge...and she lost. Love killed the cat. She did fight valiantly for Marik's sake, I have to admit. I was amusing to see her work so hard..."

"You're disgusting! Leave at once!"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me where Odion is!"

"Do you honestly believe that I'll reveal his whereabouts to you? Especially when I know why you desire to know where he is? Be gone, cretin!"

Before he could reply, he was interrupted by a familiar chime and the two looked up to the ceiling.

"Attention duelists and guests, we have landed on Alcatraz. Please disembark for the continuation of the Battle City tournament."

"Heh!" he scoffed. "With or without your help, I'll find out where Odion is! But luckily for him, I have a tournament to win! I'll deal with him later."

Ishizu glared at him as he headed for the door. "You're not going to win this tournament! If Kaiba and Joey are unsuccessful in beating you, the pharaoh will!"

"Peh! You hold too much faith in others! That's what got Mimi and my good side in the mess that they're in! After I kill those three and Odion, I'll send you all straight to hell!" he said with a loud cackle. "Farewell for now, sister!"

He finally exited her room and she collapsed into the nearby chair when the door finally shut closed. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute as she clenched her chest. She calmed down a few moments later and started to pray. They needed all of the divine intervention they could get.

As he walked down to the exit, Yami Marik sneered with anticipation.

_'Odion has been unconscious since being attacked by an angry Ra and he might never wake up again. If Ishizu thinks Kaiba and Yugi will think of a way to defeat me, it's all in vain. They'll both fall before Ra. I'll defeat them first, then I'll take care of Odion at my leisure. Then I'll finally be free and no one will be able to stop me from doing what I want! Everyone will die!'_

\------------------------------

Before disembarking, Yugi made a stop in Bakura's room and looked around. Bakura's bed was empty and cold.

_'This tournament is getting too dangerous. Now Bakura is lost in the shadows thanks to Marik.'_

Yami materialized beside him, placing a strong hand on Yugi's shoulder.

_"He lost a shadow game to Marik. He can't return until Marik is defeated. The same rule applies to Mai and Mimiki."_

Yugi sighed. "First Odion was struck down, then Mai and Mimiki's souls are trapped in the shadows...and now even Bakura is gone…they've been turned into sacrifices...why do our friends have to suffer because he has a vendetta against us?"

Yami lightly squeezed Yugi's shoulder.

_"I apologize, Yugi...I'm the one to blame. Malik's doing these things out of hatred for me…"_

_"That's not true!" Yugi protested. "You can't be blamed for this! You're not this evil pharaoh that he's made you out to be in his mind! Even the good side of Marik realizes that! Don't you try your best to protect everyone? It's like you said; we have to keep on fighting until it's all over! Being negative won't get us anywhere!"_

Yami gave his host a weak smile. He could feel the burning fire of courage and determination from him. "You're right. Thank you, Yugi. A true duelist doesn't quit."

Yugi smiled at the spirit until the gang had spotted him.

"Hey Yugi, are you ready?" Tea asked.

Yugi nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

While he exited the room with everyone, He quickly glanced at Bakura's bed. In the hallway, he looked back to Mimiki's room and glanced at Mai's room as they walked down the hall.

_'We'll fight for all of you! You'll be back and well, I promise.'_

\------------------------------

Everyone stepped out into the fresh, cool air that met them out on Alcatraz. The sun was shining with a few clouds in the sky. They all gathered at the base of the Duel Tower, which was surrounded by piles of scrap metal in every direction, awaiting for their next set of instructions. Kaiba, with Mokuba following behind him, met up with them moments later. He glanced at Kakayu, who was standing next to Joey, but she glared at him and turned away. It hurt him to see that glare again, but he quickly moved on to hide his true emotions. It didn't go unnoticed, but everyone decided not to ask about it.

"Welcome to Alcatraz." Kaiba said. "This island is the site of the original Kaiba Corporation, but I tore everything down and built this tower."

He then turned to Yugi and scowled. "And I plan to defeat Yugi at the top of my Duel Tower!"

At that moment, Yami had switched places with Yugi. 'We'll see about that, Kaiba! I can't allow you to win this time.'

Kakayu scoffed at his words. It reminded her of their argument. Joey wasn't too happy either.

"Are you forgetting that I'm still in the tournament too? You'll have to go against me too, Kaiba!"

"Shut up, amateur! I'll just bury you under the scrapheap!"

Joey almost lunged at Kaiba, but Tristan caught him. "Don't let him get you you, buddy!"

"I was a semi-finalist in Duelist Kingdom! Don't count me out yet, asshole!"

Kaiba brushed his comment aside and started walking closer to the tower.

"Hmm...it's a shame that most of your friends can't be here to watch us, pharaoh." Behind them, Yami Marik showed up quietly. Everyone had turned to him with a scowl, but he wasn't bothered. The young Egyptian looked around. "It's a pleasant view, don't you think so, pharaoh? It's the perfect for your final resting place."

"His ass needs to go too!" Joey growled. "You're going down!"

"I second that!" Kakayu said.

Yami Marik scoffed, unbothered once again. He grinned as he felt his power rising again.

"Enough of this! When are we going to get on with these duels? I want to know who my next victim is!"

"Chill out, man!" Mokuba said with an annoyed scowl. "You'll find out your opponent soon enough!"

"Due to some unforeseen circumstances, our scheduled free-for-all duel has been compromised." Kaiba explained.

Kakayu's eyes narrowed again, both at Kaiba and Yami Marik after hearing him speak. She balled her fists to distract herself from the desire to wail on both men.

"Instead, we'll be heading to the Duel Tower to start the finals. Let's go." Kaiba said.

Everyone made their way to the tower and went inside, where Roland was waiting for them to arrive. The small room was barren and made of steel and concrete. It reminded them of when they all had gathered for the finals in the stadium and once again, the gang wasn't impressed.

"This doesn't look like a dueling arena at all…" Tea said.

Mokuba smirked. "Just wait and see, Tea! I promise that you won't be disappointed!"

Roland took Mokuba's words as a sign to begin, so he cleared his throat before starting.

"The second half of the Battle City Finals will begin here. If you focus your attention to the four corners of the room, you'll see that there are four doors. Each finalist must choose a door. Please don't be concerned about which door to choose, as one door will not give you an advantage over another door."

Joey looked at all of the doors, wondering which one he'll pick.

"I don't know which one to choose! What do you think, Yug?"

The pharaoh flashed his usual stern look towards him.

"I don't believe there is a right or wrong choice, Joey." he replied.

Joey felt as if his words were cryptic, so he decided to play "eenie, meenie, miney, mo" to decide on a door. Annoyed with his antics, Kaiba scowled.

"How the hell you've made it this far is beyond me, Wheeler! Pick a damn door!" he screamed.

As Joey's finger landed on a door, Yami Marik was walking through that door. Yugi and Kaiba had also walked through their doors and everyone else had walked away to another room. Frustrated that his technique didn't work, Joey went through the last available door.

Inside, the duelists entered a dueling station, which rose above the tower floor to another floor. When the station stopped, they saw everyone staring at them. A small screen next to them displayed '4000.' Joey looked around, clearly confused on how the next round was to play out. Kaiba decided to take another opportunity to demean him.

"Roland please explain the rest of the rules and be sure to speak slowly so the dog will be able to follow along." he said with a smirk.

Joey muttered some colorful words through his teeth.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." he replied. "This preliminary duel is to decide the match-ups for the semi-finals. Everyone will duel against each other in a battle royale. As you lose life points, your dueling stations will rise. The first two duelists to reach the top will duel against each other in the first semi-duel and the other two will fight in the second duel." he explained. "As usual, everyone will start off with 4000 life points. You're allowed to attack or defend anyone you wish. Please connect your duel disks to the duel station's system via the provided USB connection."

Everyone grabbed the white cable and connected their duel disks, the monitor displaying "READY" after the connection was established.

"Please remember that this duel will have no effect on your final placement. It will only decide who you'll face in the semi-finals."

While everyone readied themselves, Tea sighed in relief.

"Well that's good. It doesn't really matter who wins because it's just a match-up, right?"

Kakayu and Duke shook their heads in disagreement.

"It's not that simple, Tea. This is more of a psychological contest. Everyone has someone that they want to go against. For example, Joey might want to go against Yugi or even Marik. He can defend Yugi and vice versa, but Kaiba and Marik might attack him." Duke said.

Kakayu nodded. "Duke is right. Because this is sort of an unconventional duel, they all have to change up their strategies accordingly. Two duelists can gang up on one duelist if they wanted to. In the end, they all have control on who they'll duel against later. This is how the free-for-all duel was supposed to be, with everyone deciding on who they wanted out of the way."

"Oh...I see." she replied.

"I wonder who they might gang up on." Tristan said. "Knowing Joey, they might go after him."

Everyone looked over to Joey, who felt all of their eyes on him while he was thinking of his strategy.

"What are you guys doing? Stop staring at me like that!"

Tristan snickered at his best friend. "Don't disappoint us and lose too soon!"

Joey waved a fist at him. "Shut up!"

In the other stands, everyone was thinking about how they wanted this duel to end. Kaiba wanted to duel Yugi to win his god card so he could use it against Yami Marik in the final duel. Yami Marik also wanted to duel Yugi so he could finally kill him. Joey wanted to duel Yami Marik in order to make him pay for what he did to Mai and Mimiki and to help Yugi bring him down, but he also wanted to duel Kaiba to make him eat his words about his dueling skills.

"Duelists, please prepare yourselves." Roland said. "It's time to determine who goes first. The order of the turns will be decided by each player choosing one monster card from his deck. The players will go in order of the attack strength of the monster they choose."

"Aww snap! This will be easy!" Joey said.

"The twist is that you can't put that card back into your deck."

Joey's excitement left as quickly as it came. "Aww man…"

Everyone chuckled at him and even Kakayu couldn't help but laugh a little. After picking their cards, it was decided that the order was Kaiba, Marik, Yugi and then Joey.

"You start now!" Roland commanded.

\------------------------------

Meanwhile on the ship, Serenity had stayed with Mai. Serenity was worried that so much time had passed since Mai's duel with Yami Marik. If someone didn't beat him, Mai would be the first to die. She looked out the window to the Duel Tower and sighed before looking back to her.

"Don't worry, Mai...Joey is dueling for you…" she said softly. Then she looked to the door and visualized Mimiki in her comatose state. "And for Mimiki as well…he has to win...he has too!"

\------------------------------

Ishizu had stayed with Odion. Before disembarking, Kakayu had hurried to give her a new key to Odion's room. Once she was in the room, she quickly locked the door. She looked over him, and sighed sadly when she saw that there was no sign of him getting any better.

_'Thanks to Marik's good side, you're safe Odion.'_

She looked out the window to the Duel Tower as well and sighed again before looking back at him. She pulled a chair closer to his bed and tried to make herself comfortable.

 _'Odion...as Marik's guardian, you were able to contain the evil inside of him...I remember when our father had punished you for allowing us to go to the surface…'_ she thought sadly, remembering the horrific scenes of him being whipped and beaten red to the point of rendering him unconscious. _'I'm so sorry…I never wished for that to fall upon you...when that happened, that's when his dark side physically emerged for the first time and he killed our father and almost killed you and Mimiki...I'm certain that if you didn't wake up at that time, he would've killed me too...'_

She clinched a part of her dress. _'I was so frightened afterwards...although Marik had returned back to normal, I didn't want him to go to surface again, but he kept sneaking out to be with Mimiki. He had made a friend and you convinced me not to keep him trapped underground again...you believed that his relationship with Mimiki would help keep the darkness sealed away…'_ she thought before closing her eyes.

_'But when Mimiki had departed from Egypt, Marik's heart had grown cold. I worried about him deeply. He was so depressed…'_

\------------------------------

_Ishizu and Odion had checked in on Marik once again. It had been a week since Mimiki had left Egypt. At the airport, Marik had been detained after he tried to get past security to see Mimiki. After he was deemed as a non-threatening person, he was released. They had worried about him after being in such a frantic mood and being away from the tomb for so long, that they went out looking for him. After discovering the Minami's empty home, they had learned from their neighbor that Marik had hitched a ride to the airport. Their former neighbor was kind enough to take them to the airport, where Marik stood outside at the departure drop off area. Marik's eyes were empty, broken and cold as he kept staring at the ground. After returning home, Marik stayed in bed for days and wouldn't eat. Whenever they tried to give him food, he refused it._

_"Please, Marik…" Ishizu begged. "It's been a week now...you can't sustain yourself with only water...you have to eat." she said worryingly._

_"...I don't want anything to eat...I'm not hungry..." he replied quietly._

_"Master Marik...please at least eat some bread...or some soup...it'll make you feel better."_

_Marik quickly jumped up with fury in his eyes. "NOTHING WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!" he snapped. "MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE! I'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!" he yelled with tears in his eyes. "She was my only friend...I love her…" he cried. "And she's gone...why...WHY?! WHY IS FATE SO CRUEL TO ME?!" he cried, slamming his fist into his bed. "First father, then Mimiki! I didn't even get to say goodbye to her…"_

_He continued to sob deeply and the two older siblings felt awful. They didn't know how to comfort him. His inner turmoil had him in a vice grip and showed no signs of letting him go. They thought that it was best to give him time to cry it out and left his tray of food on his desk. They headed to bed hours later after checking up on him from time to time. The next day, Ishizu had awoken to find Odion missing. She ran to Marik's room, he was also missing, along with his picture of him and Mimiki. Frantic, she ran to the room where the millennium necklace and rod were. The rod was missing and a lily was laying next to the necklace. Ishizu's stomach had sunk at her realization. Desperate to know what would become of her brothers, she quickly placed the necklace around her neck. Many visions came to her quickly about Marik's fate, especially when she saw the reappearance of his dark side and the evil things that he would commit. After crying for a few moments, she quickly picked herself back up and ran off to her room to pack. She had to stop Marik._

_Over time, Marik had used the power of the rod to locate Slifer the Sky Dragon and Ra. He also had gathered a group of men to help him with that same power. He was determined to make the pharaoh pay for his father's death and for forcing them into their hermit lifestyle. He wanted to free the Ishtars and to have a normal life. Afterwards, he wanted to search for Mimiki and find out why she left so suddenly._

_Now he was on the search for Obelisk the Tormentor. He gathered his Rare Hunters to retrieve the card, which was being housed in safe in a government building. Ishizu had intercepted her brothers and met them with a group of armed guards. She had taken the card and hid it away._

_"You hid the card from me?!" Marik growled. "How could you?!"_

_Ishizu focused her glare on him._

_"You know good and well that Obelisk doesn't belong to you, Marik! Surrender now, you and your Rare Hunters!"_

_Her guards cocked their guns at Marik and his lackeys. Marik snickered and laughed. "Do you honestly think that'll work against me?"_

_He quickly held up the rod and made her guards fall to the ground unconscious. She growled at her predicament. "Please stop this, Marik! Return the god cards! You know that only the tomb keepers can guard the god cards and the stone tablets!" she pleaded._

_"No!" he snapped. "I refuse to waste my life waiting for the Pharaoh! I'm not giving those back! I won them of my own accord!"_

_"But the cards belong to the nameless Pharaoh! We have to give them back!"_

_Marik grip on the rod tightened._

_"Have you forgotten that our misery and sorrow was caused by him?!" he snapped._

_"Marik, you're a tomb keep and you shouldn't forget that!"_

_Marik felt like his grip could snap the rod in half now and he gnashed his teeth._

_"How could I forget that?!"_

_He quickly ripped his violet cloak from his body and placed his back towards her. The pharaoh's memories that was carved into his back years ago was staring her in her face. Memories of his initiation flooded their minds and it made him sick._

_"Because of him, I had strapped down like a wild animal and had his memories carved into my back! Because of him, our father is dead! Because of him, we have to live underground and wait eons for his return! Isn't my and Odion's scars enough of a sacrifice for him?! I refuse to consent to anything else that has to do with him! I will find that filth and make him pay for his sins!"_

_He quickly put on the cloak again and turned to his sister. "I will kill him and become the new Pharaoh! I will change the fate of the Tomb Keepers! When that time comes, I'll regain a happy life for the three of us! Mark my words!"_

_"So you plan on having a happy life by taking another? What sense does that make? What would Mimiki think if she knew what you were doing?"_

_Marik's heart stopped for a moment and he felt sick._

_"Don't bring Mimi into this! After this is over, I'll find her! She'll understand and this will all be behind us! Goodbye, sister!"_

_Before Ishizu could respond, the area behind him exploded and he had disappeared. She ran through the smoke and looked outside. Marik had climbed into a passenger attachment of a motorbike that Odion was driving. Odion quickly stored his rocket launcher and they both gave her one last glance before they drove away. She stared at them as they disappeared into the night Egyptian sky, along with his Rare Hunters following behind._

_Ishizu balled her fists and shed a tear. Marik's eyes were filled with turmoil and sadness and Odion's showed a sign of regret and loyalty to Marik._

\------------------------------

 _'You had to stay with him because of the demon that had been growing inside of him for so long…but now that you're not able to help him...'_ she thought looking back to the tower and then placing a hand over the necklace. _'Everyone's future rests in Yugi's and the pharaoh's hands now…'_

\------------------------------

The duel consisted of thirty minutes of insult throwing, fierce attacking, defending and hard decisions. The gang cheered for Yugi and Joey as they made their moves. Kakayu didn't cheer for Kaiba at all and was hoping that any of the three duelists would knock him down a peg or two. At the end, it was decided that Yami Marik and Joey would duel first, as they were the first to reach the top. Afterwards, Yugi and Kaiba would duel in the second round.

All of the dueling pods at risen to the top floor and everyone followed them upstairs via an elevator. Yami Marik crossed his arms and chuckled as he looked over to his next opponent, or in his thoughts, victim.

"This wasn't what I had planned nor wanted, but this is fine. I hope that you're ready to duel me!"

Joey glared at him with fire in his eyes. _'It's finally time...I'll beat Marik and save Mai and Mims!'_

Kaiba stepped out of his pod and looked over to Yugi. _'At last...I can defeat Yugi and reclaim my glory!'_

With that thought, he looked over to Kakayu. She was talking with Tea, but quickly felt a pair of eyes on her. When they locked eyes, she quickly scowled and looked away, focusing her attention back on Tea. His heart sank a bit again, but also hardened. Yugi looked over to Kaiba as well.

_'It's time to end everything here…I have to win and save everyone!'_

"Since Joey is going to duel next, shouldn't someone tell Serenity? I'm sure that she'll want to watch." Duke said.

"Aww, look at you being all thoughtful!" Kakayu said.

Tristan was about to dash off to be the one to tell her, but Mokuba stopped him. He cursed inwardly. He was tired of being cock blocked.

"There's no need for that. The Duel Tower is high-tech and there's a phone in the elevator. We can just call her." he said before walking back to the elevator, but Kakayu stopped him.

"I'll just go and tell her Mokuba." she offered.

"Are you sure? You don't have to walk there and back. You'll miss a part of the duel."

Kakayu gave him a sad, small smile. "Yes, but I need to check on Mimi, Mai and Odion."

Mokuba looked up to her sadly. It didn't go unnoticed by him that his brother and hers relationship had been strained. He overheard Roland and Ben talking about their argument. Kaiba of course, had said nothing about the argument to him, but he could tell by his behavior that something was wrong.

"Okay...if that's what you want…" he replied.

"Thank you Mokuba. I'll be back before you know it." she said with a wink. Before she left, she waved at Joey.

"Good luck Joey!" she shouted with a smile. "Take him down!"

He smiled at her and waved back. "Thanks, Kai!" he shouted back.

Kaiba glared at him and clinched his black sleeves as his pang of jealousy shot in him in his heart. He looked over to her, who gave him a look of disappointment and resentment. Everyone watched as she disappeared behind the elevator doors and the duel began.

\------------------------------

Kakayu took her time to walk to the ship. She didn't want to hurry back too quickly. After retrieving some more lavender tea from the kitchen, Ishizu had bumped into Kakayu in the hallway.

"Oh, it's you Kakayu. You startled me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"No apologies needed. Thank you again for giving me a new key card. I'm very grateful for your kindness."

Kakayu shook her head. "No problem. As a commissioner, it's my job to make sure that everyone is taken care of and safe. I understand what's at stake here."

Ishizu smiled at her. "I'm happy that you understand. May I ask why you're here? Shouldn't you be watching the duels?"

"Yes, but the four way duel is over and I wanted to check up on everyone. How is Odion, by the way?"

Ishizu took a sip of her tea and sighed. "He's still the same; no change at all. Thank you for asking."

Kakayu gave her a sad look. "Oh, okay. I was hoping that there would be a sign of him waking up. That means that Mimi and Mai must be the same too…"

Ishizu placed her free hand on Kakayu's shoulder. "Please don't worry, Kakayu. I'm sure that the pharaoh will be victorious against my brother and everyone will be alright."

"That's what I'm hoping for." she replied, trying to keep a positive mind.

Ishizu nodded. "Now that the four way duel is over, has it been decided whom will go against whom?"

"Oh yes! Joey is going against Marik now and I came back to tell Serenity. The duel started about ten to fifteen minutes ago, I believe."

A wave of negativity washed over Ishizu. "Joey is dueling against my brother...I see…"

The two stayed silent for a moment until Ishizu took another sip of her tea. "I'll accompany you to inform Serenity of her brother."

"Okay. Let's go."

\------------------------------

When the door slid open, Serenity jumped a bit and turned to the door.

"Oh, hello Kakayu, Ishizu." she said. "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be watching the duels?"

"We came to tell you that Joey is dueling right now. We thought that you might want to watch his duel. It started about ten minutes ago." Kakayu replied.

"Oh really? Who's he dueling against? I would go watch, but I feel bad leaving Mai here…"

"Well...Joey is going against Marik right now…" Kakayu said while biting a nail.

Serenity's heart jumped and she quickly looked out the window to the tower. A large purple and black circular cloud was nestled on top of the tower. All she could do was think back to Mai and Marik's duel. She screamed a little, startling Kakayu and Ishizu, who joined her at the window. Their eyes also widened.

"My brother!" she screamed.

Serenity quickly ran out of the room and Kakayu ran after her, leaving Ishizu alone with Mai. Ishizu felt sorry for Serenity. She could tell that her and Joey had a close bond. She grew sorrowful, because she used to have the same bond with Marik long ago.

_'Without the power of the necklace, I can't see the outcome of this duel. Shadow Games are games of death and watching her brother fight may be a painful memory that's beyond her imagination. He is her only sibling, after all...she must accept this and fight with him. Joey will need all of the support that he can receive.'_

Ishizu took another sip of tea to calm her nerves and prayed for the best.

\------------------------------

Joey was struggling in his duel. Yami Marik had initiated another shadow duel. Their monsters virtual lives were linked with their real ones, a neon magenta link that ended at their and their monster's chest connected them. Whenever their monsters were destroyed, they took physical damage. Joey had summoned Gilford the Lightning and Yami Marik had summoned Ra from the graveyard. Although Ra didn't have any attack points, everyone still worried about Joey's well being. Ra had proved to be a monster of many surprise abilities. Even Joey was scared, but he hoped that since Ra didn't any attack points, he'd be safe for another turn.

Yami Marik made it transform into its phoenix form, which had everyone in awe and worry. He smiled when he thought back to the look on his good side and the spirit of the ring's face the moment they saw Ra in its phoenix form.

"Now that my beast has taken its strongest form, victory is mine!"

As Ra's burning form was reflecting in his eyes, Yami was confused at how Marik had planned to claim the victory he spoke of. The Egyptian then looked over to Kaiba and Yugi.

"Kaiba! Pharaoh! Take heed!" he said. "Cheer for Little Joey's death as he stands before the raging god of the sun!"

"This duel isn't over, Marik!" Joey shouted. "I still have Gilford on my side! Your oversized flame-broiled turkey doesn't have any attack points!"

"Think what you want!" he spat back. "In its Phoenix mode, Ra can disintegrate your monster if I pay 1000 life points!"

"So what?! It still doesn't have any life points, like I said two seconds ago! You can't touch my life points, scarecrow!"

Yami Marik didn't appreciate Joey's words and frowned. "Life points are the least of your worries! Have you forgotten that we're playing a Shadow Game? I will destroy your monster and you will feel his death. Then you'll burn into ashes!"

Serenity and Kakayu made it to the base of the tower and ran up to the elevator. Serenity stabbed the "UP" button what seemed like a thousand times, anxious to get to the top.

Back at the duel, Yami Marik laughed again.

"I'll render your annoying ass completely useless! The time has come, Little Joey! The Phoenix rises tonight!"

Ra released a shriek as it flapped its wings. "Attack him now! Drain his soul and sent it to the shadows!"

Joey's eyes had shrunk to the size of a pea as Ra readied itself to attack him.

_'If I lose now, I'll be far away from everyone!'_

He started to shake uncontrollably in fear. _'Yug...Mai...Mims...I'm sorry! I couldn't help you guys! I'm so sorry!'_

As Ra made contact, it shook the tower. The elevator shook with power and scared the girls. Serenity looked up and screamed. She had a horrible feeling about Joey.

"JOEY!" she cried with tears.

Joey was screaming in pain; never did he think he'd experience pain like this before in his life. Yami Marik laughed uncontrollably as he watched. Everyone felt horrible that they couldn't help their friend.

"The Goof! The Goof! The Goof is on fire!"

"This guy is nuts!" Mokuba said. "He's gone over the line, Seto! We should stop the duel before this gets worse!"

Kaiba stood frozen in joy. Now he had seen Ra's third ability and it made him even more anxious to own it. Mokuba begged for his brother to stop, but it was futile.

_'Now I see why Kai is so upset with him…'_

The elevator doors finally opened and Serenity was welcomed to the sight of her brother engulfed in a flame cyclone. She screamed again and tried to run onto the dueling platform to save Joey, but Tristan and Duke had to stop her before she got hurt. Gilford the Lightning was destroyed, and Joey was hunched over, feeling his monster's destruction.

"Come back, Ra!" Marik commanded.

Ra halted its assault and returned to the graveyard, leaving nothing but a field of smoke.

_'When the smoke clears, he'll be nothing but a motionless shell, just like that woman and Mimi! I can see his soul rising like white smoke...how delicious!'_

The field was quiet and it started to clear. Yami Marik was eager to see his opponent fall and claim his victory. To his dismay, and everyone else's excitement minus Kaiba, Joey was still standing. Yami Marik started to panic; for the first time, he felt fear.

"No! It can't be!" he cried.

"HE'S ALIVE!" everyone shouted.

"No one can't stand the onslaught of an Egyptian God! He should be dead!" Yami Marik scream through his teeth.

Weak and in a daze, Joey looked onward to Yami Marik, who was now sweating bullets. He had nothing to protect him.

"If he calls an attack, I'll lose the duel and my Egyptian god card!" he muttered. "NO, NO, NO!"

Everyone cheered and told to him attack while he could, but he collapsed onto the floor. Gilford had disappeared from the field.

"JOEY!" everyone screamed. Serenity's scream was the loudest of them all.

Kakayu quickly whipped out her phone and called for the doctor.

"He doesn't need a doctor!" Kaiba yelled. "The duel is still on! He has thirty seconds to get up!"

While everyone was calling out to Joey, Kakayu turned to him in rage. It exploded again. "You insufferable bastard! Forget about the rules and help Joey!"

Memories of the fight surfaced again and his emotions started to run high. He ignored her words, which hurt her even more than him not responding. Joey didn't stand up and everyone grew silent.

"The thirty second time limit has ended. Because Joey Wheeler is unable to duel, Marik Ishtar is the winner!" Roland announced.

The cloud of the shadow game faded away and the platform lowered itself to the ground. Mokuba was the first to jump up to Joey, disgusted by his brother's way of handling the duel. He grabbed Joey by his shoulders, begging him to wake up. Mokuba placed his hand near his nose and his stomach dropped.

"H-he's not breathing!"

Yugi and the other's stared in horror. Serenity cried over her brother's body, gripping him and begging him to come back to life. Tea and Kakayu cried and the boys cried silently, trying to pray for a miracle. The doctor and a couple of medical assistants finally arrived and carefully placed Joey on a stretcher. They rushed Joey back to his room while the doctor called for his room to be prepped.

Everyone watched as they took Joey away. Kaiba stood in thought along with Yami Marik, who was trying to recover from the shadow duel.

'I never thought that that a guy like that could push me to this limit!'

His stomach was turned in knots, his body weak from the duel. He soon covered his mouth and vomited. Yami stood there frozen, while Yugi's soul was on his knees, sobbing.

 _"It's a lie...it's a lie...he's not dead!"_ Yami cried.

 _"When will these trials stop?!"_ the teenage boy asked.

Yami Marik laughed once it sunk in that he won. "Well, well...one more soul sacrificed to the darkness! I'm on a roll!"

"SHUT UP!" Yami yelled. "Joey isn't dead yet!"

"Ha! He will be soon! Now that he's out of the way, I'm one step closer to killing the rest of you!" he replied, laughing again before walking away.

Suddenly, even Kaiba's hardened heart felt a little moved by the tearful scene.

_'Maybe he wasn't the third-rate duelist I thought that he was...Joey...the way you died; I recognize you as a true duelist.'_

Before Yami Marik could get to the elevator, Kaiba stopped him.

"You might think that you'll win this tournament, but the one who'll be doing the killing around here is me! I'll beat Yugi and I'll kill you off in the final round!"

Yami Marik scoffed. "Is that so? Little Joey lost to me. What makes you think that you're any different from him?"

"Wheeler's struggle isn't anything to me, here or there! Because of your duel, you've revealed too much about Ra. I will crush you!"

Yami Marik snickered at him. "Go for it!"

Yami Marik excused himself and went downstairs. Kaiba then turned to Yami, who was recovering from shock.

"Yugi," Kaiba called. Yami slowly faced him. "I'll see you in an hour. I dare you to stand on the court of your friend's death and duel me! At that time, I'll crush you with everything I have." he said in an icy tone. "Victory will be mine!"

Yami didn't say a word to him.

"I'll be waiting for you." Kaiba said before leaving.

Soon, Yami and Yugi were left alone, the upward breeze sent a shiver down their spines.


	11. Hurricane Blitzkrieg

Just like they were when they found Kakayu crying over Mimiki's body just a little over an hour ago, Serenity was now crying over Joey's body. Since he took more physical damage than Odion, Mai and Mimiki, he was wired up to many more machines. The doctor had placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, along with a heart monitor over his chest and an IV in his arm. During transport, he didn't move at all, which worried everyone. It was disturbing to see another person fall victim to such dark magic. After twenty long minutes, the doctor finally wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed.

"Well, the good news is that he has surprisingly recovered a little, so he's fine for the moment."

"FINE?! HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE'S FINE!" Tea cried with tears.

The doctor didn't flinch at her outburst because this time it was obvious that Joey had been severely injured. "I understand your feelings, miss. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about his survival rate. If he doesn't recover soon, he might not survive."

Serenity was on her knees and sobbing on the edge of his bed, clutching the sheets to the point that her knuckles were turning white. "Please Joey! Wake up! Open your eyes!" she begged. "Please…"

It was Kakayu's turn to comfort her, just as she did the same for her earlier. She sat next to her and rubbed her back. She shed a few tears as well, knowing she felt the same way earlier. A pang of guilt ran through her heart when she thought about what she said to Joey earlier when she lashed out at him.

_'I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy...and I definitely didn't want you to go through this Serenity…'_

She prayed for everyone's recovery. The doctor also felt bad for them, but this was nothing new to him in his line of work. What surprised him the most was how many people had fallen ill in what he viewed as a simple card game tournament, especially when everyone has ended up in a comatose state. When he was assigned to become the Head Doctor for the tournament, he agreed since it was sort of like a vacation, since he would've been away from the fast paced hustle and bustle of the hospital for a couple of days. With all of this commotion, he thought that he was back at the hospital.

While everyone worried about Joey's life, Joey was locked away in his mind, having a dream.

\--------------------------------------

_Joey walked in a field of fog with nothing else to comfort him besides the sound of his footsteps. 'Where am I? How did I get here? Where are the guys at?' he thought._

_"Hello? HELLO?!" he called. "Is anyone here?!"_

_With no reply, he grew frustrated and walked ahead, hoping to get out of the fog. Minutes later, he walked out of the fog and realized that he was back home in Domino. The street was empty and the surrounding shops were closed, which he found peculiar._

_'Wasn't I just in Kaiba's Duel Tower battling Marik?' he thought while scratching his head. 'What the hell is going on here?!'_

_"Joey, is this is where you've been, you big oaf?" a familiar voice said._

_Joey turned around to see Mai walking towards him. Behind her was the rest of the gang. "Joey, we've been looking everywhere for you! Seriously, where is your phone?!" Tea asked, clearly annoyed._

_Mai couldn't help but chuckle and grabbed him by the arm. "Time to go, hon."_

_Joey, clearly confused, started walking with Mai and blushed at bit at their close contact. "But Mai, where are we going? Weren't you sick earlier? Are you sure that you're okay to go...wherever we're going?"_

_Mai just smiled at him and kept walking. Mimiki caught up to them and took his other arm. "Don't tell me that you forgot that we're all competing in a huge duel monsters tournament today?" she asked with a smile._

_Joey kept walking with the two women, even more confused than ever. "Mims? You too?" he asked while looking back and forth between them. "Both of ya should be at your houses, chilling out!"_

_"More walking and less talking, Joey. If you keep this up, we'll be late!" Mai replied. The blonde started to walk a little faster. Yugi then passed them up and walked a little ways ahead at them, now walking backwards to face them. The short boy gave his best friend a comforting smile._

_"Yug! You gotta back me up here! They should be chilling out! Also, weren't we already in a tournament? I'm hella confused!"_

_Yugi chuckled. "You're dreaming, Joey. Dreams aren't supposed to make sense."_

_Mai yanked his arm again and started walking even faster. "Get a move on, Joey! If you miss this duel, you'll be disqualified and I can't allow that to happen!"_

_"Eh...maybe that's not such a bad thing, Mai." he replied. Suddenly, he felt sore all over and fatigued. "I could use a nap or two, to be honest." he said before letting out a big yawn. "A nice, big burger beforehand doesn't sound bad, either! What'dya say, guys?"_

_"No, Joey! No yawning allowed!" Mimiki scolded. "I can't believe that you're thinking of food at a time like this!"_

_The two let go of his arms and stood in front of him, along with the rest of the gang. "You can't rest now, Joey! This tournament is the most important one of your life, remember?" Yugi asked. "You made a promise to help me!"_

_Mai and Mimiki nodded. "And you made a promise to save us…" Mai said._

_"A promise?" he asked innocently._

_The two girls nodded. Everyone handed their hands out to him._

_"Come, Joey. It's time to fight."_

________________________________

Back in reality, Tristan threw himself on the floor, completing the lowest bow one could do, dogeza, and looked up to the doctor with tears in his eyes.

"Please doctor! Save Joey! He's my best friend! Save all of our friends!" he pleaded.

The doctor was taken aback at his request, but he could tell that Tristan cared about his friends from the bottom of his heart and he felt powerless. "I'm sorry young man, but there's nothing I can do..."

Tristan wasn't having that kind of talk. He quickly jumped up and grabbed him by his shirt with rage in his eyes. "You're a damn doctor and your job is to cure your patients! What the hell did you go to medical school for if you can't cure your own patients, dammit?!"

"Tristan! Stop it!" Kakayu and Tea yelled.

"You need to calm down!" Kakayu shouted.

"Calm down?! Look who's talking?! That's a lot coming from someone who chewed off their friends head for telling her to calm down!" he spat.

Kakayu growled, but kept her mouth shut. The doctor, who was still in shock, managed to speak up. "I'd like to add something, if I may…"

Tristan quickly turned back to him. "What?!" he asked sharply.

"I have to admit that this is very strange…" he said before glancing at Joey. "His brain activity is very high...it was the same with the other blonde young woman."

"What about Odion and Mimiki?" Kakayu asked.

"Theirs is still low, but not low enough to warrant the high possibility of death." Everyone sighed. The only thing they could do was hope that everything would be alright in the end.

"If they all still show signs of brain activity, no matter what level, it means that their will to survive is still burning." Ishizu chimed in. "They're all fighting the dark magic that has enslaved them. This has gone beyond a natural situation. All that medical science can do is to monitor their conditions."

She also placed a hand on Serenity's back and hugged her. "It'll be alright, Serenity. All of our loved ones are fighting to recover. We just have to pray that the power of their hearts will keep them alive."

Serenity cried a little more before nodding in reply. Tristan still had his fists balled up; obviously still not happy with the doctor's words. "I don't buy this...this...trash! You better help them!" he yelled at the doctor.

"I'm sorry young man, but we don't have the equipment here to treat all of our patients! We need to send them to a better equipped hospital, our main hospital in particular. There, my staff can assist me better."

Suddenly, Mokuba walked into the room with his eyes to the floor.

"Mokuba!" Tea exclaimed. "When are we going to be able to move everyone to a real hospital?"

"Well...ur...um...I called for a medical copter and because of their limited speed, it'll be a while until they get here…"

"Define 'a while!'" Tristan said.

"...Almost three and a half hours…" he muttered.

"THREE AND A HALF HOURS?!" they all exclaimed.

"Hell, the tournament would be over well before that! What the hell is this, Titanic?!"

"The helicopter can only go so fast, Tristan. At it's max speed, this is how long we'll have to wait." Mokuba explained. "Luckily for them, they're okay for now and we didn't buy any cheap medical equipment or hire unskilled staff." he said while giving a smile to the doctor, who was happy for the drop of positivity that was given to him.

However, still shocked over his best friend's bedridden state, Yami looked over to Joey and his duel disk once more, then quietly slipped out of the room.

________________________

Their stateroom door closed behind them. Yugi's spirit was kneeled on the floor, crying bitterly while Yami was silent.

"It's my fault…" Yugi muttered.

Perturbed, Yami glanced at his host. "What's your fault, Yugi?"

"Everything...everything is my fault! Joey promised to help me to fight Marik...and now look at what happened to him!" he sobbed.

Yami's eyes stiffened. "Yugi…"

"Please don't die, Joey! Please!" he sobbed louder. Yami kneeled down to comfort him. "Yugi…" he muttered.

"Yami...if Joey dies...and everyone else too...I won't be able to fight anymore...I can't!"

"That's not true, Yugi! Joey and the others won't die! You can't say that!"

Yugi continued to sob almost uncontrollably. "But because of me not handling this situation with Marik correctly, Odion...Mimiki…Mai...and now Joey are on their deathbeds! And Bakura is missing!" he sobbed loudly. "I never should've let Joey promise to help me fight Marik…I should've watched over Bakura more carefully...I should've tried harder to stop Mai and guide her when she was dueling Marik...I couldn't even protect Mimiki from his dark magic...I'm horrible! I'm useless!" he sobbed. "I'm such a horrible friend!"

"Yugi, stop it!" he said sternly.

Ignoring him, Yugi continued to blame himself. "It's not fair! Why couldn't I face Marik sooner?!" he cried. "Maybe it's for the best that...we should stop fighting…"

A hard thud interrupted his wallowing. He looked up to see that Yami had punched the wall. "YUGI!" he shouted loudly. "Stop blaming yourself right now! And don't you dare give up now!" he scolded with narrowed eyes. After a moment, Yugi calmed down and grew quiet.

"I know that this whole ordeal has grown very hard for you...it's been hard on everyone and there's no doubt about that...myself included. Marik is the toughest enemy we've faced to date. His methods and ends have been so unpredictable…"

"But...if everyone dies because of him...what would I have left?" he asked suddenly. "All I'll have left is my hatred for Marik! I hate him!"

"YUGI!" Yami shouted again, making him flinch. "Hatred will get you nowhere! I won't allow you to stoop down to Marik's level! I know that you know that hate doesn't extinguish hate! You just told me yourself earlier day that giving up and negative thinking won't help us! You have to fight for everyone...WE have to fight for everyone! Do you really want everyone's sacrifices to be in vain? All of their hard work and commitment to helping us?"

"No…" he muttered while holding back a sob.

"Good. A true duelist doesn't give up. Everyone fought like true duelists...they all fought for their cause...they fought for what they believed in until it was over. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain!"

Yugi stayed silent for a moment and looked to the floor. _"Yugi, fight!"_ a group of familiar voices said.

They both looked to the right and swore they heard the voices of Joey, Bakura, Mai, Mimiki and even Odion encouraging them, but no one was there. They both huffed in unison. _'Wishful thinking.'_ they thought.

"Now straighten yourself up, Yugi. It's almost time to duel Kaiba. Our Battle City isn't over and we need to take him on with everything we have." he said while extending his hand to him. Yugi whipped his face and nodded. Although he still felt very much broken, he tried to find the strength to think positively. "Yes…" he replied. "We might've lost some battles, but the war is far from over. We can still win this! We have too...for everyone's sake!" he said as he grabbed Yami's hand.

"Yes, that's right Yugi. We will win this!"

Yugi's spirit returned to his soul room and Yami walked out of the room.

__________________________________

Yami returned to Joey's room, gaining everyone's attention.

"Oh, it's you Yugi." Tea said. "I didn't notice that you were gone. Are you okay?"

Yami nodded in reply. "Yes, I'm better now. Thank you for asking. How's Joey doing?"

"He's still the same." she replied sadly.

Yami walked up to him to observe. Quickly, everyone's thoughts were interrupted by a chime. "The second round of the Battle City Semi-Finals, Mr. Seto Kaiba vs Mr. Yugi Muto, will begin in ten minutes. Duelists and spectators, please report to the Duel Tower Stratos Deck immediately!" Roland announced.

Everyone looked at Yugi. "Are you ready to duel him?" Tristan asked.

Yami nodded. "Yes. There's no time like the present. I'm ready to win; not just for me, but for everyone."

Everyone smiled at the pharaoh, but Tea wasn't too happy. "Good luck!"

He smiled in reply before he grabbed Joey's duel disk, which was laying beside him. Yami slipped it on Joey's arm before walking out. Tea quickly ran after him. "Yugi, wait!"

Yami stopped, but didn't turn to face her. "Are you really going to duel after all that's happened?! Have you forgotten how many people have been hurt so far?!" she cried. "I-I...I can't stand the thought of losing you too…" she admitted.

Yami sighed. "Don't you understand, Tea? If I walk away now, everyone's sacrifices and suffering will be in vain...and I can't allow that to happen. I believe in everyone's future and if I stop now, we'll never see that future."

Tea stayed silent and continued to stare at his back. He finally turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to blush lightly. "Watch over Joey while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back before you know it." he said softly.

Tea nodded softly. "Do your best, Yugi."

He sent her a comforting smile while trying to mask his anxiousness. "Always, Tea."

Tea watched as Yugi left for the Duel Tower. It was was a tense walk to the elevator. Inside, Yugi was shed some more tears about their situation, his back facing Yami. Yami was standing with his arms crossed as he focused on their ascension to the top.

_____________________________

"Remember what we talked about Yugi." he said calmly. "Don't let what has happened hinder our concentration. Do realize that we have to get past Kaiba to get to Marik. It won't be easy, but we must win. Use the pain of loss as your fuel to win."

Yugi sniffled again and nodded. "I know…" He took a deep breath and sighed. "Let's do this." he replied. Yami turned to him and nodded with a smile before Yugi disappeared again. Finally, the elevator stopped and opened its doors.

Kaiba stood with his arms crossed on the dueling platform with Roland. Roland looked down at his watch. "It's almost time for your duel to start, Mr. Kaiba. Yugi Muto has yet to arrive."

"Hmph. Yugi would be a fool not to show up! I will make sure that his ass will be here to duel me!" he replied sharply.

 _'Thanks to Wheeler's little death performance, Yugi is stupidly wasting his time in the medical ward!'_ he thought. _'He has to come! No matter what, he won't escape from this fight with me! It's our fate!'_

With that thought, he elevator beeped and the doors opened to reveal Yami.

"Yugi, how nice of you to finally arrive." he said with sarcastic undertones. Yami wanted to roll his eyes, but decided to play along.

"You know that I wouldn't miss this for the world, Kaiba." he replied with the same tone.

Kaiba rolled his eyes, but pushed his feelings aside. _'It's finally time to decide the winner.'_

Roland quickly left the platform and switched it on. As it began to rise, Kaiba looked around to find that they were the only souls there. "Where is the nerd herd? Why aren't they here to cheer you on? Are they still trying to wake Wheeler up from his dirt nap?"

Yami growled. "I don't know, Kaiba. Just know that Joey is still fighting."

Kaiba smirked. "It's his fault. He shouldn't have been here in the first place. I knew that he couldn't keep up with us. If a beat down by Ra didn't teach him anything, then nothing will, if he lives, that is!"

Yami gnashed his teeth. He wanted to arrange an appointment with his fist and Kaiba's face, but Yugi calmed him down when he placed a hand on his shoulder.

 _"Let me handle this."_ Yugi said. He quickly connected their minds. Although Yugi didn't take over, Yugi projected his thoughts through his mouth. _"If he wants to be evil and petty, I'll entertain it this one time."_ Yugi said to Yami.

"Well Kaiba, riddle me this; where's your brother? Better yet, where's your girlfriend? Perhaps she's in Joey's room watching over and caring for him instead of watching and cheering you on? Man do people move on quickly after dumping someone...these girls can be so savage nowadays, you know?"

It was Kaiba's turn to gnash his teeth. If looks could kill… _'He couldn't have known about our fight…'_

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you two on are the rocks with the way she's been acting, Kaiba. So sad…" he said while shaking his head. "Oh well, though. Too bad she isn't here. If she saw you lose to me again, I know she'd feel better that she's not stuck with a sore loser anymore, such as yourself. I bet that she can't wait until this tournament is over! The further away from you, the better!"

Kaiba clinched his fists and they started to turn white. He was fuming over the fact that Kakayu had turned her attention to Joey after their fight. She hadn't encouraged him or cheered him on since before their duel the night before. He was even more pissed that his private matters were almost as clear as crystal for everyone to see. He was starting to regret his poor choice of words and bad decisions, but he had to beat Yugi and reclaim his glory by any means necessary. He was confident that he would make her understand and everything would go back to being how it was before Yugi had knocked him off his throne, but now he wasn't so sure in his future now that she wasn't there.

Yami saw how Yugi's words has pissed Kaiba off. Yugi had materialized beside him with a smirk. " _Where did that come from, Yugi? I've never heard you speak like that before…"_

_"I've been hanging around the girls too much, is all. Don't mind me, Yami. Hopefully he'll be so pissed off that he won't be able to concentrate."_

_"...That's low, Yugi. Shrewd, but low."_

Yugi replied with a happy smile. _"No need to thank me! Now let's hurry up and beat him and then move on to Marik!"_ he said before disappearing and giving Yami full control again.

"I know why you're dueling today, Kaiba. Unlike you, I'm not fighting for myself. I'm fighting for everyone. Apparently, it's very clear that you have no idea how dangerous this Duel Monsters tournament has become. The outcome of the Battle City finals could put the whole world at risk!"

"The only one who's at risk here is you, Yugi!" he retorted, still clearly pissed off. "Once I win, you won't be number one anymore! I will!"

Yami glared at him. "It's not always about being number one, but of course, you wouldn't understand that concept. But since you're so gungho about winning, let's begin our duel."

Kaiba scoffed and turned to Roland. "The start of the second Battle City Semi Final duel, Mr. Seto Kaiba vs Mr. Yugi Muto, is about to begin!"

"Let's see who will win, Yugi. My Obelisk or your Slifer!"

They began the duel and played their cards. After a few minutes, Kaiba looked around.

"You know what, it's a little boring without an audience! Let's change that shall we?"

"What?"

"Activate the holographic coliseum!"

Roland quickly did as he was told. The four holographic projecting pillars that surround the tower blossomed like a flower and roared to life. The sky was replaced by a roman coliseum with virtual spectators. They were dressed in ancient roman clothing and were cheering loudly. Yami and Yugi groaned at Kaiba's attempt to make their duel a spectacle. Little did he know that Kaiba decided to broadcast their duel on national TV. On the mainland, the duel was also on the Jumbotron. The other Battle City participants all gathered to watch.

"Now we can duel properly Yugi!" Kaiba said with a hearty laugh.

Yami had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "...If you say so, Kaiba. Let's continue."

______________________________

Meanwhile in the bathroom in the Duel Tower, Yami Marik was recovering from the effects from his shadow duel. Starring the possibility of losing to Joey made him lethargic and he had spent the last forty-five minutes making himself chummy with one of the many porcelain nerves and gag impulse had finally started calming down thanks to him using a huge chunk of his reserve of dark energy that he had gained from everyone's negative emotions. The burning sensation in his throat was almost gone and he made his way to the sink, where he soaked his head under the cold waters of the faucet. When he felt his head was getting a little too cold, he pulled his head up and shook it around violently. The water splattered on the mirror, counter and the other surroundings. After taking a drink of water to rid his mouth of the taste of bile, he looked around at the water and smiled.

_'Soon there will be bloodshed instead of this pure water…'_

Finally feeling back to normal, he grabbed the rod and invoked its dark magic. The bathroom disappeared behind purple and black mist before it turned into the beautiful, clear beach that Mai was trapped in. In her mind, everyone had taken a break from playing in the ocean and was now relaxing and eating on the beach, completely oblivious to her being trapped in her hourglass prison above them. The sand had risen just below her chest and the black insects were trying to crawl around whatever leftover space they could fit into. Mai was crying quietly, losing hope with each passing second and was starting to accept the fate of her approaching death. Her body was stiff from the greenhouse like heat and sand. She wanted to swat the bugs away, but she knew that was futile. She wanted to scream out, but she knew no one would hear her.

 _"Despair is a good look on you."_ his chilling voice said.

Mai looked over to her left and she screamed with narrowed eyes. She desperately wanted to get away, but the glass kept reminding her of where she was; in her own hell. He was kneeling beside her again like before, enjoying her torment.

 _"Tick, tock."_ he said. _"Tick, tock. Only less than ten hours until you die..."_ he sang.

Her stomach and heart dropped at his words and she started to cry harder. He laughed heavily at her before disappearing into thin air.

In another dimension, it was nowhere near as pleasant looking as Mai's mind. The area was dark and gloomy. A small, lone circular garden was suspended in the middle of the void. A stone fence circled the garden. Inside, plots filled with many black and red roses decorated the garden. The red roses healthy green vines were turning into grey vines filled with huge thorns. They filled the walkway and seemed to grow towards in one general direction; the center of the garden. The center focal point of the garden was a square shaped trellis made of black iron. Mimiki's body had be hoisted and tied to the trellis with grey rose vines. Still dressed her her pajamas, the vines had been wrapped around her ankles, waist and wrists. Below her, the green vines from the garden had encased her feet and had made their way up her legs, waist and chest. The vines were also had red roses and one bigger red rose sat over her heart. Her head had hung limp towards the ground.

Yami Marik had entered the garden. He looked around to see the the roses from the outer perimeter of the garden had turned black and the red ones were slowly turning black over time. He smiled and walked up to her before cupping her tear stained face in his big hand. She didn't wake up to his touch, but grunted in pain. He looked over to where he entered the garden. Another rose had turned black. His smile remained; he was pleased.

 _"You make a lovely live statue, Mimi...if you hadn't been so confident in trying to save my good side, you could've been with your friends, but...you know what happened."_ he said. He kissed her again, savoring the fact that they couldn't be interrupted.

_"This is your punishment for defying me…for loving him. And soon, your heart and soul will be filled with nothing but darkness."_

He released her from his grip and left her mind. Soon, he was back in the bathroom. The roaring of the virtual crowd and the clashing duel echoed loudly in the bathroom, catching his attention. "Oh yes, how could I forget? The pharaoh and Kaiba are dueling...god against god...I have to see this!"

Yami Marik then made his way back to the Stratos Deck.

_______________________________

Back on the airship, everyone was still huddled in Joey's room. It had been twenty minutes into Kaiba and Yugi's duel. Everyone had been quiet for a while. The beeping of the medical equipment didn't help their moods.

"How much longer until the medical copter gets here?" Tristan asked.

"Two hours and fifty-two minutes." Mokuba replied after looking at his watch.

Everyone sighed deeply and Kakayu stood up. "I'm going to check on Mimiki, Mai and Odion." she said. She quickly exited the room and left for Mimiki's room down the hall. Before she could open the door, the doctor had beat her to it, causing her to gasp.

"I apologize, Ms. Hikami. I didn't intent to startle you."

Kakayu waved her hands. "No, no. It's alright doctor. How's Mimiki, Mai and Odion?"

"I was just about to find you to inform you that your cousin's blood results were normal. No, poisons or anything abnormal. The good news is that her brain activity has risen slightly, so there's hope for her. The other gentleman is still the same, unfortunately. The young woman's brain activity rose then slowed down again as well."

Kakayu sighed. "Thank you doctor. Please do your best to help them."

"Of course. I'll inform you of any changes if they arise."

The doctor left Kakayu by herself and she entered the room. Mimiki was still sleeping soundly. Kakayu checked to make sure that she was comfortable. She then glanced out of the window and saw the huge coliseum and rolled her eyes. "Really, Kaiba?!" she muttered.

Although she was still furious with him, she still cared about him. She was curious to know how the duel was coming along and started to debate if she should make the trip to watch. _'Well since the hologram is up, he won't see me. A peek wouldn't hurt. I hope that Yugi is tapping his ass!'_

While she left the room, Ishizu was in Odion's room. She looked out to the virtual coliseum as she sipped on her tea. A calm silence minus beeping medical equipment filled the room.

 _'It's too quiet.'_ she thought. _'It's the calm before the storm. The duel between the owners of the god cards should be the most violent of all duels. I hope that the pharaoh is faring well against Kaiba.'_

_________________________________

While Kakayu took her sweet time walking to the tower, Yugi had managed to summon Slifer. It was a tough duel. The two rivals were cutting each other off from victory every chance they got. Kaiba fumed that Yugi had beat him in summoning his god card first, especially when Yugi stopped him from summoning Obelisk with his Lightforce Sword card one turn before. The sword had stabbed Obelisk down for one turn. But Kaiba wasn't going to let him have victory. Yami Marik had peered through the hologram. He was slightly amused at the gesture. He seemed to go unnoticed by the two duelists. He stood there with his arms crossed and an evil grin graced his face.

_'You better not disappoint me, pharaoh! I want to duel you, not him!'_

Down below, Slifer's snakelike tail had wrapped around the Duel Tower. Kakayu looked up and smiled. 'This must mean that Yugi's winning! I gotta hurry!'

She quickly ran for the elevator and waited for it to arrive. While she waited, Yami launched his attack to Kaiba's monster, but Kaiba managed to save his monster. With no target, Slifer's attack exploded in the sky, causing lightning to flash and waves of energy to engulf the tower. On her ride up, the shock rocked the elevator, causing Kakayu to scream and she fiercely held onto the rail for stability. She got scared because it made her think back to when Obelisk had knocked her out cold. She also grew worried for Kaiba and waited anxiously to get to the top.

On the airship, the lights had flickered rapidly, causing everyone to worry. After it stopped, everyone had looked out the window, wondering what was happening at the duel. Mokuba, now worried about his brother, left for the tower.

The elevator had finally opened. Kakayu slowly exited and looked around. Luckily for her, she happened to see Yami Marik's cape from behind. He didn't turn to face her because he didn't hear the elevator. Although she wanted to beat him silly, she knew that she wouldn't be able to fight him. Pushing her feelings aside, she quietly snuck past him and prayed that he wouldn't catch wind of her presence. Before she reached the other side, a large crash had rocked the tower and she stumbled. She quickly regained her footing and peeked beyond the hologram. Her eyes shrunk; Kaiba had summoned Obelisk. Fear washed over her. Both god cards were staring each other down and weren't willing to back down. Yami Marik was filled with excitement while Kakayu couldn't think straight.

"Let the destruction begin!" he cackled.

After a few turns, Yami raised Slifer's life points. Kaiba kept toe-to-toe with him, the two tried to outdo the other in strength. Kaiba eventually outdid Yami and launched an attack. Yami quickly pulled a stunt that leveled out both monster's attack points. Slifer retaliated, causing a monstrous crash. A blinding light and sonic boom made Kakayu cover her ears and she screamed as she closed her eyes, Yami and Kaiba doing the same. The force of the blast ensnared Kakayu's body and caused her to faint. The millennium rod began to glow, throwing Yami Marik for a loop. The viewers of the duel on the mainland screamed as the sky went dark and the Jumbotron and other televisions exploded. On the ship, everyone watched as the Duel Tower was engulfed in a ball of light.

The light disappeared minutes later, leaving Kaiba on his knees, gasping for air. Yami stood there staring into space, contemplating on what the vision was that he and Kaiba saw. The two god monsters were gone and the sky had returned to its beautiful shade of blue.

The millennium rod ceased to glow, causing irritation to stir within its wielder. 'Why did my rod react to them?!' he thought. He looked up at the two, who were still in their own confused stupor. _'Whatever they saw, I want to see it! The rod should only help me!'_

Moments later, the mystical force left Kakayu's body. She quickly jumped up in a tizzy and looked around. Her sudden movements had made her dizzy and she held her head in an attempt to regain her control. A minute later, which seemed longer than that to her, she was able to herself off the ground. Everything was now calm and quiet. Her vision cleared and looked around in confusion. She pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming and she flinched in pain. _'I'm not dreaming...I'm not dead!'_ she thought. Memories right before the blast rushed to her and she started to breathe heavily.

 _'I thought that I saw my life flash before my eyes!'_ she thought while her heart was racing. _'So much power...my goodness…'_

She calmed down after she heard Yami and Kaiba exchange of words. The duel quickly resumed and she began to watch. Kaiba used monster reborn to summon Obelisk once again. The same spirit of fear crept back into Kakayu's soul.

 _'Is Kaiba really going to win?'_ She then looked over to Yugi. _'Please, Yugi! You can't lose! Everyone needs you!'_

Back on the ship, the others could see that Obelisk was back in action and they were worried about Yugi's chances of winning without having Slifer to fight for him. Cracking under the weight of his emotions, Tristan was fed up. He quickly ran to Joey and lifted him up by his shirt, earning a gasp from everyone.

"Tristan! What the hell are you doing, man?!" Duke asked.

"Are you frickin crazy?!" Tea added.

Serenity started to become glassy eyed again. "Tristan! Please stop! Joey's still hurt!"

Ignoring them all, Tristan started to yell at the unconscious Joey. "Joey! You have to get up, man! Wake up!" he pleaded.

"Tristan…" Tea growled. "Put Joey down right now! He needs to be resting!"

"Just trust me on this, will ya?! Besides, you know he'd be watching this if he didn't get hurt!" he snapped before turning back to Joey. "Joey! You have to wake up and cheer Yugi on!"

He ripped the medical electrodes from his body and dragged Joey to the window and propped him up as if he could look out to the Duel Tower. "You need to see this!" he said with tears in his eyes. "Open your eyes and look! Yugi's fighting and he needs your help!"

As he kept calling out to Joey, everyone tried to rise their hopes that Tristan's words would help Joey wake up. They continued to watch the duel from afar and wondered what exactly was going on up there.

"No matter who wins, I just hope that no one will die." Tea said.

"Don't think like that!" Duke said. "Maybe Kaiba and Yugi will have a fair duel."

Tea slowly looked at him with an irritated look. "Kaiba fight fair? Against his biggest rival?" she scoffed. "Puh-lese!"

"Duke's right." Serenity said. "We have to hope for the best."

Unnoticed by them, Joey's eyes were slowly opening and the light of life was returning to his eyes. "Yugi…" he muttered when he finally opened his eyes. Everyone's hearts had jumped, especially Serenity's. "OH MY GOD JOEY! SAY SOMETHING ELSE!" Serenity shouted.

The blonde looked around in confusion. "What's going on? Did someone get hurt?"

Tristan broke down. "Yeah, it was you, you asshole!" he screamed.

"ASSHOLE?!" Joey asked, clearly insulted.

"Joey, are you really okay?" he asked.

Joey looked around again and noticed that Tristan was holding him up. "What are you doing, man?!" Joey asked.

Serenity broke down and cried. She wrapped Joey in a big, warm hug. Tea and Duke also choked up. The doctor entered the room and was surprised to see Joey on his feet. "Weren't you just in critical condition five minutes ago?! How have you recovered so quickly?!"

Ignoring the doctor, Tristan grabbed Joey by his shirt. "You're an asshole for making us worry like that! Trying to die and shit! Don't you ever do that again!" he said with tears in his eyes.

Joey was taken aback by his outburst. He remembered the danger he was in earlier. "The duel!" he exclaimed. "I was dueling Marik! I gotta go and see Mai and Mims!"

He yanked himself from Tristan's grip and ran barefoot to Mai's room. His hope died when he saw her still lying in bed. He ran up to her and tried to shake her awake. "Mai! Mai wake up!" he said. "I beat Marik!"

The others caught up to him and looked down to the floor. He turned to them in worry. "Guys! I beat Marik! Why isn't she waking up?!"

They stayed silent for a moment. "Joey...you didn't beat him. You lost…" Serenity replied.

Joey was at a loss for words. "But...but...I remember summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight and kicking his ass! I won! I had to!"

Everyone shook their head in disagreement. "You were playing a Shadow Game, big brother. Marik was draining your strength. You managed to summon a monster strong enough to defeat Marik, but before you could call your attack, you passed out..."

Joey teared up and looked down at Mai in silence. He closed his eyes and sniffled. "That also means...Mims is still…?"

"She's still sleeping too..." Tea said.

Joey began to cry. "Mai...Mims...I'm sorry! I couldn't save you guys!" Serenity walked up to him and hugged him from behind. After a minute of sobbing, he turned to her. "Where's Yugi? What's happening with him?"

"He's dueling Kaiba right now. The duel has been going on for the last forty minutes." Tea replied.

"Then I gotta get up there right now!" he said as he darted back to his room. He quickly grabbed his socks and shoes and laced them up, starling the doctor. "Where do you think you're going, young man?!" he asked. "Get back in bed! I have to examine you!"

"Sorry doc, but my best friend needs me!"

"You were just in critical condition five minutes ago! You need to rest!"

"Rest, smest!" he retorted. "I'm fine! I'm in the best shape of my career!"

"It's too dangerous for you to leave now. You needs to be examined, especially since you're the first to wake up!"

"For the last time doc, I'm fine!" Joey quickly ran out of the room and Tea tried to stop him. "Joey! Would you please listen to the doctor?! You was just in really bad shape and everyone was worried sick about you! So many people have been hurt in this tournament and I'm pissed!"

Joey turned to her and started to feel bad. "I'm sorry for worrying everyone, but I have to go and be there for Yugi! I know that he'd do the same for me!" he said. "I made a promise to Yugi to help him defeat Marik and save the world! Battle City isn't over and I want to help Yug fight for our future!"

Everyone stayed silent for a moment. Tea remembered Yami's words from earlier and smiled softly.

"Fine…" Tea said. "You two need each other."

Joey returned her smile and turned to his sister. "Take care of Mai and Mims for me, sis!"

Joey quickly turned on his heel and ran down the hallway. "Wait! Come back!" the doctor shouted. Everyone ran after Joey. They wanted to help Yugi fight too.

\------------------------------------

"And the winner is Yugi Muto!" Roland announced.

Kaiba couldn't believe it: he lost again! He thought that he had Yugi cornered. His Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was supposed to crush him and his Dark Paladin. But once again, the King of Games came out on top. Kaiba stood there in shock, unable to utter any words. The others had arrived when Yugi launched his final strike. Everyone cheered for Yugi's victory and Yami Marik had himself a laugh of his own. Kakayu stood away quietly, feeling bad for Kaiba, but happy that Yugi had knocked him down a peg. Mokuba fell to his knees, feeling his brother's sorrow.

"I lost…" Kaiba muttered. "But I had the perfect strategy!"

Yami walked up to him. "My paladin said otherwise, Kaiba." he replied. "You were fighting for all the wrong reasons. All you were fighting for was yourself. Your anger and bitterness caused you to lose. Know that there is no real victory in hatred, and although you've been defeated, you still must defeat your hatred."

"As if you understand, Yugi!" he yelled. "Battle City is my tournament! The entire event was designed so that I would be victorious! I wanted to put the memory of my adopted father behind me and be crowned the world's best duelist atop my Duel Tower!" he yelled. "This duel was about the past, Yugi! You hold on to some stupid ass rock, lost memories and that ridiculous battle we hallucinated about earlier that you think that we fought! That means nothing to me! This is about burying the past for good! I remember being sent to the orphanage when my parents died. I had to grow up and make sure that Mokuba was safe! Then we were adopted by Gozaburo and lived an ugly ass life! My past is full of hatred and anger!" he growled.

"I am different from you, Yugi. I'm only interested in the future. The past for me is a target to be smashed. Yugi, you represent the past. After I smash your illusion and become the Duel King, then my future was supposed to begin!"

He balled his fists tightly. "But once again, it's you who won, Yugi! I was so close, but somehow my victory slipped away. You've always taken my victory away from me!" he yelled. Bitter, he sucked in his breath. "It's over...my Battle City is over." he said. "I'm nothing now."

Everyone was shocked at his emotional outburst. Kakayu was saddened and her heart felt heavy. She now knew his true feelings about his past and towards Yugi. Mokuba clinched a locket that he had under his shirt. He pulled it out and looked at the picture inside. It was a picture of Kaiba when they lived in the orphanage. He had big, blue happy eyes and a big smile. He teared up a bit while looking at the photo. _'Is this how you really felt back then? I had no idea...'_

Meanwhile, Joey and the others ran up to Yami. His smile grew a mile wide when he saw Joey up on his feet. "Joey! You're okay! How—when—"

Joey snickered. "You know that I couldn't let that bastard keep me down too long Yug!" The two shook hands and Yugi felt relieved. "Of course, Joey. I'm glad to have you back."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Joey, you look great! It's as if nothing happened!" Kakayu said. "I'm glad that you're okay!"

"Thanks, Kai! I'm glad to be back!"

She gave him a sweet smile, but then she looked back to Kaiba sadly. She wasn't sure if she should attempt to comfort him at that moment since they were still on the rocks with each other. She wasn't even sure how to comfort him right now. _'Maybe I was wrong about what I said...I should've tried harder to listen to his feelings…oh Kaiba...'_

He still stood there in shock with his eyes to the ground, blocking out the world around him. Yami on the other hand, walked up to him and tried to rectify things. "Kaiba, this was the most challenging duel I've ever fought."

Kaiba's eyes snapped upward in a rage. "Save it, Yugi! Don't patronize me! I don't need your pity!"

"I'm serious, Kaiba. I might've been the victor, but you fought well."

"Don't start that bullshit with me!" he spat.

Yami sighed, now showing signs of irritation. "Haven't you learned anything from our duel? You can never truly be a success in anything until you've conquered those monsters in your heart. You were doomed from the start, fueled by your anger and hate and by his denial of your past. But like I said earlier, I fought for my friends. I was was fueled by my faith in my destiny. Even though Joey was unconscious for most of our duel and Mai, Bakura and Mimiki aren't with us, it was like they were right there with me. I couldn't have won without them."

He glanced back at everyone, who smiled. He swore that he saw a glimpse of Mimiki, Bakura and Mai smiling at him for a split second and he smiled again. 'Thank you…' he thought. _'You all are next!' ___

"I didn't win the duel alone. We did it together, using the card Joey gave me and the love I receive from my friends. My strength comes from the bonds of my friendship with everyone and it means that I never duel alone."

Kaiba clenched his fists in anger. He thought about all of his defeats that were by Yugi's hands and grew even angrier. "The strength of the concept of 'friendship' is nothing to me! One can only gain victory by their own strength. I will never need a friend's strength!" he spat. "I don't need friends! Friendship is not a necessity like water! I don't need it to live! It's meaningless! All that shit does is just slow you down! I don't need _anyone_!"

"Is that how you _really_ feel?!" Kakayu asked. Everyone looked over to her; time had stopped for an instant. Upon hearing his words, she could feel her heart break into a thousand pieces instantly. Her teal eyes were filled with sorrow and crocodile tears were threatening to fall. After wallowing his is own sorrow and self-pity, he hadn't noticed that she was there. No one knew what to say but they knew one thing: the third atomic bomb was about to explode. Kakayu started to shake and sniffle.

"You know what? I was thinking about apologizing for not understanding your feelings. I was going to attempt to understand your point of view, but you've said enough! After all the time we've spent together for the last couple of years and you're saying that don't need me or anyone else?! I can't fucking believe you!"

Kaiba was at a loss for words. "Kakayu, I—"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" she screamed. "I can't believe that I actually have feelings for you! You're the worst!"

She quickly ran off and ran into the elevator, crying a trail of tears. Everyone called out to her, but the doors had closed. Everyone sat in silence and then gave Kaiba the evil eye, which he looked away, clearly irate. He quickly flicked Obelisk to Yugi and walked stiffly past everyone. He already thought that his day was ruined because he lost to Yugi. Now is antagonizing words had officially pushed Kakayu away from him. It was the icing on top of his cake.

"Ya know Kaiba, you really didn't have to pop off like that! Kai really likes ya and you just broke her heart, ya selfish bastard!" Joey yelled.

Kaiba quickly turned on his heel and glared at Joey. "I don't need advice from the underdog! Our relationship is none of your business Wheeler!"

"It _IS_ my business when my friends are hurt! It looks like you need another beat down! I'll be happy to give it to ya!" he said while lifting his duel disk.

"Whatever, monkey! I"ll settle my grievance with her myself!"

"And I'm about to fight for her honor, so let's go asshole! Me, you, downstairs! Right now! We have a minute before the last duel! No excuses!"

Kaiba glared at him, but then his trademark smile grew. "If you want me to kick your ass, then so be it, Wheeler. Be at the base in ten minutes. I'm in the mood to curb stomp someone and it might as well be you!" he replied. "Come, Mokuba!" Mokuba, who was also distraught by his brother's words and Kakayu's outburst, quickly snapped out of his daze and quietly followed behind him. Kaiba quickly called for the elevator and left.

"Are you sure that you're in shape to duel, Joey?" Yami asked.

"Never felt better, Yug. Let's go!"

Everyone walked to the elevator and waited for it to return. "While you duke it out with Kaiba, I'm going to go and find Kakayu." Tea said. "Lord knows how she feels right now."

The elevator welcomed them inside. They entered and Joey pushed the 'down' button. "Yeah, you do that Tea. I'll check on ya after I kick his ass!" Joey replied.

"Hey now, Joey...please don't fight him...only duel him. We don't need anyone else bedridden in the medical ward." she replied.

"Tea's right, Joey." Yami said. "Battle him like a true duelist would."

"Yeah man, what they said." Tristan added.

The elevator finally reached the bottom of the tower and they walked out. "Well, since ya'll asked so nicely...I'll try to be nice...I can't guarantee anything, though!"

"JOEY!" Tea yelled.

"Fine, fine! I'll be nice!"

She slapped him in his head. "Behave yourself! I'll be back later. Keep an eye on him, guys."

Duke saluted her. "Yes, Madam President!"

Tea couldn't help but chuckle. Joey stuck his tongue out at her and left to find Kakayu.

\-----------------------------

On the ship, Ishizu was praying over Odion. It was so warm and quiet in the room after the intense parts of Kaiba and Yugi's duel. She had dozed off after praying. A beep caused her to jump out of her sleepy stupor.

"Attention duelist and guests: the winner of the second Battle City semi-final duel is Yugi Muto!" Roland announced. "The final duel, Yugi Muto vs Marik Ishtar, will start in thirty minutes."

Ishizu sighed in relief. _'The pharaoh won...thank goodness…'_ she thought. 'Soon the pharaoh will face my brother in the final duel. Everything is hanging in a delicate balance right now...the outcome for everything rests on his shoulders.'

She turned her attention to Odion once more. _'Oh Odion...I wish that you'd open your eyes and come back to us...I'm so worried about you, Marik and everyone else...if you woke up, Marik might have a chance to regain his control over his body.'_

Ishizu sighed again. _'I haven't had a chance to speak with him since last night. That shadow duel must've taken an extensive toll on his soul. I don't know what else I can do to help him...my poor brother! I wish that I could talk to him and see that he's alright! If he's alright, I can only pray that his soul will survive until the pharaoh secures his victory. Then everyone will return to normal.'_

Ishizu said one more prayer before she tossed her disposable tea cup into the trash. She freshened up in the bathroom and locked the door before she left the room. As she walked down the hall, she saw Kakayu.

"Oh Kakayu, hel—"

She was cut off as the young girl flew past her. All she heard was sobbing and she grew worried. _'Why is she crying? Did something happen?'_

Kakayu quickly ran into Mimiki's room. Ishizu contemplated if she should try to comfort her, but she wasn't close to her. _'Perhaps it's best if she had some time to herself…'_ She said a prayer for her and left to exit the airship.

In Mimiki's room, Kakayu ran up to the bed and buried her head beside her cousin.

"Oh Mimi!" she cried. "He's awful! I can't believe him!"

She clenched the sheets and continued to sob for a moment. She finally looked up at Mimiki and remembered why her cousin was sleeping in the first place, which made her cry again.

"First I lose you and now Kaiba's thrown me to the wayside! He makes me so angry! I don't know why I've dealt with his ungrateful ass for so long! He's been more of a prick than he ever has been since this tournament started!"

Kakayu wiped her eyes and looked at Mimiki again. Resentment and regret started to fill her soul. "I wish that I never agreed to being a commissioner for this stupid tournament! I wish that I never convinced you to enter it with me! Maybe at least you'd still be okay if that were the case...I'm so sorry, Mimi…"

She sniffled and coughed while wiping away more tears. She wished that Mimiki was awake and well. "I wish that you were okay...I need you right now...whenever we were depressed, we always had each other to talk too…" she said to her. "But because you risked everything for Marik, we can't talk right now…"

She started to hiccup between sobs. "After all that we've been through and he said that he didn't need friends! That asshole! I can't believe him! Ungrateful ass!"

She stayed silent for a moment as more rage, rejection and resentment continued to consume her. "Mimi...you're so lucky…" she muttered. "You have a guy that loves you just like you love him...must be nice...I wish that Kaiba would put himself out there for me...just like you did for Marik! He wouldn't even listen to me when I asked him to cancel the rest of the tournament so you all would get proper medical treatment! All he cares about is beating Yugi in a stupid children's card game and himself! I can't believe I fell for someone like him!" she growled. "I so was stupid to believe that he'd melt his ice cold heart for me!"

She wiped her eyes again and another unsettling wave of calm washed over her. She started to feel dead inside. Her nightmare was starting to consume her. Unseen to her, vapors of black and purple mist oozed from her and started to leave the room.

"You were right all along, Mimi...he's an asshole…"

She wiped one lone tear from her cheek. She tried to gather what resolve she had left while she listened to the beep medical equipment. _'Oh well...this is over...I'm done…'_ she thought. _'As much as I want to cuss him out, it wouldn't be worth wasting my breath…'_

She left Mimiki's side and went to the bathroom to wash her face. As she dried her face and looked into the mirror, she saw how red and swollen her eyes were. _'Ugh…'_

She patted her eyes with more cold water. _'No more crying, Kakayu. It's not going to help you that much. It's time to move on.'_ she thought.

She grabbed her towel again and glared at herself in the mirror.

_'I'm done with Seto Kaiba.'_


	12. Saved by Grace

Outside the base of the Duel Tower, Kaiba was impatiently waiting for Joey to arrive. Mokuba stood dejectedly away from his brother, staring at the ground. His mind jumped between what Kaiba had said and how somber Kakayu was. It didn't help that he saw her upset early that morning. Her cousin was in a coma and now the guy that she really liked just rejected her. Not only did he reject her, Mokuba felt like Kaiba had rejected him too.

_"I don't need anyone!"_ His words echoed through his mind. He snuck a peek at his brother from the corner of his eye. _'Does that mean me too, big brother?'_

Kaiba was tapping his finger impatiently against his arm. He was still irate over what happened. He wanted to talk to Kakayu, but he didn't know how to initiate the conversation. He didn't even know where she ran off to. The island was a decent size, filled with piles of scrap. Kaiba was starting to regret his poor choice of words again. He kept sticking his foot in his mouth when it involved Kakayu. _'I have to talk to her, but that will have to wait since that mutt thinks that he can challenge me in a duel!'_ he thought. _'I will crush him and make him eat his words! He'll never challenge me again!'_

It seemed like he was waiting forever in a day. He was quick to explode if Joey didn't show up quickly. Before time could grant him that opportunity, he saw Joey and the gang walking up to him.

"It's about time you showed up! I've never met a dog that walks as slow as you!"

Joey clinched his fists and wanted to bash his face in, but he remembered that he promised to be nice and to battle like a True Duelist. He had to remind himself that he wasn't fighting for himself this time. He was fighting for a friend.

"If I was the one who challenged you, I wasn't going to go ghost on ya. I'm here to teach you a lesson!" he replied.

Kaiba scoffed. "Peh! Whatever you try to teach me will be as useless as a trying to squeeze blood out of a stone. You have nothing to offer me!"

Yami's furrowed his eyebrows. "You can learn anything from anyone Kaiba!" he said.

"Wheeler's not anyone, Yugi. He's a dog."

Joey growled and tried to remain calm. "Whatever. With everything that I've learned in Battle City, I know that I have a good chance at beating you, Kaiba. Take your best shot!"

"I won't need my best shot." he said with an insulting smile. "Take your worst shot for all I care! You'll never beat me, no matter what you do!"

Joey responded by activating his duel disk. "Let's go! I got another duel to watch after this! I can't be late to my best bud's important duel! I'm sure that you'd understand that...if you had friends."

An image of Kakayu's hurt face flashed through his mind. Kaiba scowled and activated his duel disk. _'I had a friend...but I stupidly lost her…'_ he thought.

"Duel!"

______________________________________

While everyone had left to watch Joey and Kaiba duel, Yami Marik had stayed behind. After he had his laugh at watching Kaiba's defeat, his mind returned to how his rod had glowed when Slifer and Obelisk clashed. He tried to use it several times since then, but the rod wouldn't respond to him. It wouldn't show what Kaiba and Yugi had seen and it wouldn't allow him to enter Mai's and Mimiki's minds as well. Needless to say, the deranged Egyptian was very furious.

"What is this bullshit?!" he muttered. "This is my rod! It's only supposed to respond to me! I'm its rightful wielder!"

He tried once again to use it, but he failed. Then he tried to use some of his reserve dark magic, but he found that he was really low on energy.

"Damn that stupid blonde and that duel! I barely have any energy to make this rod work!" he cursed. "If I didn't have to use that magic to heal my body, I wouldn't be in this situation right now! I need more energy!" he growled.

_______________________________________

Tea walked back to the airship to find Kakayu. Before she could reach the entrance, her eyes became blank. Marik had taken over Tea's body. He readied himself to find Ishizu, then he noticed the black and purple vapors that were slowly passing his hostess's feet. His eyes shrunk in horror. They were heading towards the Duel Tower.

_'I have to find my sister quickly!'_ he thought.

"Greetings, Tea." a familiar voice said. Marik looked up to find his sister.

"I didn't expect to see anyone else out here. How are you doing?" she asked with a small smile.

Hearing her kind voice made him sigh in relief. "Sister…" she said.

Ishizu gasped when she saw Marik separate his soul from Tea's body. "Marik! Oh my Ra! You're alright! I was so worried about you! After we moved Odion last night, you had disappeared so swiftly! I'm so happy to see you, my brother!"

Although he was happy to see her, his current predicament made him solemn. "Ishizu, I'm happy that I found you. I saw some dark vapor heading towards the tower. If my dark side absorbs that, he'll grow stronger! I feel like I can barely stand after what I went through last night."

"Then rest, Marik. The pharaoh won his last duel and he'll be dueling your dark side soon. Let him handle him in the meantime. I'm confident that he'll be victorious." she replied.

Marik nodded his head in disagreement. "I can't rest now, Ishizu. That's the last thing on my mind. We need to talk." he replied.

Ishizu gave him a quizzical look. "About what, Marik?"

Marik sighed heavily. "Ishizu...I've been in Tea's mind long enough to learn that I was the one who killed our father. You've told everyone but me...why didn't you tell me the truth?"

Their minds raced back to when Yami Marik first appeared when their father was killed. He remembered being scared and wanting to stop his father from hurting Odion and Mimiki, then blacking out. Then he woke up to find his dead father's bloodied body perched against the wall. To this day, he couldn't believe he ended his father's life with his own hands and that such an embodiment of hatred, violence and rage was hidden away in his soul. Marik felt the weight of ignorance and guilt on his soul as he clinched his fists. It was Ishizu's turn to release the same heavy sigh as she looked away from him momentarily.

"I apologize, Marik. You were so frightened when you saw father deceased." she replied. Uncharacteristically of her, she cuddled one arm in her hand and began to fidget slightly, which shocked Marik. "I know that this sounds awful, but Odion and I were happy that Mimiki was there to distract you from that. As long as you were happy and not in extreme distress, we speculated that your dark side wouldn't emerge again. During that time, it gave us time to observe you and allowed us to understand what truly happened. We finally understood that as long as Odion was there to protect and watch over you, everyone was safe. Also, Mimiki had inadvertently sealed her memory of it all away. We didn't want the sin of murder to destroy your life at such a young age, nor did we want for her to remember either. You definitely would've lost her then and you both would've experienced too much trauma. We finally had a small sense of normalcy after father died...and you were already attached to Mimiki and the surface world, so Odion convinced me to let you try to live as normally as possible." she explained. "But after Mimiki left Egypt so suddenly, we worried greatly about you. You were so depressed."

Marik was silent as he absorbed what Ishizu was telling him.

"After you and Odion left the tomb with the millennium rod, I had no choice but to use the millennium necklace…"

"Did the millennium necklace show you my destiny?" he asked quietly.

"It only showed me so much, but now it's not lending me its powers. I apologize. But I did run off after you two in hopes of stopping you from doing something you were going to regret. It was very difficult to get you to understand, but you were so adamant about completing your goals."

Marik sighed in guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ishizu. I wish that I had listened to you. You was just trying to save me from myself. If I had listened, Odion would be okay...I'd still be in control of my body...and Mimi would be okay too…"

Marik clinched his fist. "Odion tried to warn me about the fake god card and I didn't listen...I told Mimiki not to duel my dark half...and she did! I've never felt this pissed off at myself before!"

Ishizu placed a hand on his shoulder, but she retracted it once it went through him. She cuddled her hand and gave him a hopeful look. She tried to look on the bright side. "Please don't worry, Marik. The pharaoh will be victorious in his duel. Then everyone will be freed from the dark magic that your evil side has cursed them with."

Marik gasped. He looked towards the tower, but the mist was gone. "Speaking of dark magic, I forgot about the mist! I have to stop my dark side before he can absorb it!"

"Marik, you're in no position to stop him whether he has a reserve of dark magic or not! Let the pharaoh handle him! Please!" she pleaded.

"I can't let my life be decided by one duel! I have to stop him!"

Ishizu became glassy eyed. "But if you face him and he does something to you, I fear that you'll never be able to come back! Please don't go! If you die, what will Odion and I do?! What would Mimiki do?!"

Marik looked away from her. "I can't let him run rampant anymore. Goodbye, sister."

Marik made Tea run towards the tower. "Marik, wait!" she pleaded.

She tried to run after him, but she almost tripped while doing so. Ishizu mentally cursed. _'Of course I can't run after him! I'm wearing a thigh constricting dress and flats! Why did I decide to wear this outfit?! What a horrible decision!'_ she thought.

Tea was now out of her line of sight. _'It amazes me that he's able to make her run so quickly while she's wearing platform sandals! I must hurry before he gets them killed!'_ Ishizu grabbed the hem of her dress and followed after Marik as quickly as she could. She prayed that she could do something, even without the power of the millennium necklace to aid her.

_______________________________________________

Yami Marik was completely fed up with the millennium rod. After clinching it so tightly, he angrily tossed the golden item across the floor. The rod clanged against the floor and came to a halt when it reached Tea's platform sandals. She quietly picked it up and glared at Yami Marik. Feeling the pair of eyes drilling holes into his back, he turned to face her.

"Well look who it is…what do you want?!"

He glared at her until his eyes rested on the rod. "Give me my rod back. You're meddling with forces well beyond your control…let alone your understanding."

He walked over to her and tried to snatch the rod from her hand, but the rod glowed violently and rejected him. The power of the rejection pushed him back and threw him to the ground with a loud thud. Seeing him fly across the floor made her lips curl into a satisfied smile. Stunned that the rod was working again and more appalled that Tea could use it, he growled and glared at her. 'This isn't right! Something's wrong! Only I can use the rod!'

His shoulder ached and he held it while trying to stand up. "How are you able to use the rod?! Answer me!"

Tea didn't say a word. Instead, she started to approach him, threatening him with the millennium rod. Clearly shaken, Yami Marik had nowhere to go but backwards.

___________________________________________

Down at Kaiba and Joey's duel, everyone was staring intensely. Joey and Kaiba had prevented each other from touching the other's life points too much. Both still held around 3000 points each. Joey was dueling with confidence and vigor, while Kaiba tried his best to smash Joey as quickly as he could. Yami stood off to the side with his arms crossed, locked in thought.

_'I'm glad that Joey's doing well. After this, I'll have to duel Marik...I wonder what he has in store for me…'_

Suddenly, the millennium puzzle began to glow. _'What has happened? Is someone in trouble?'_ he thought. _'I suspect that it's not good…'_

He felt as if the puzzle was guiding him towards the tower, so he quietly slipped away unnoticed.

Back at the top of the Duel Tower, Tea had backed Yami Marik up to the railing. The sound of the hollow air reached his ears, telling him it was a long way down to the ground. Still displeased by his situation, he growled at her.

"You must think that you're brave, you little twat. Trying to kill me by forcing me over the edge? You've got guts, I have to admit that."

"It's my responsibility to stop you." she replied. "Because of me, so many people have been hurt!"

Yami Marik's eyes widened in realization. "So my good side has taken refuge inside little Tea's mind...no wonder she was brave enough to stand against me…" he said.

"That's right! It's been me the whole time! I'm here to end you!" he replied.

Yami Marik laughed. "You don't exist anymore! This is my body now."

Marik pushed the rod closer to his chest. "Obviously your attempt to kill me in our duel failed." he replied. "And as long as I'm here with a fighting chance, I will fight you! Give up, now!"

"So you plan on winning by forcing me over the ledge? You'll be destroying your own body, you know?"

"I'm aware of that, but it's the only way to stop you." he replied.

Yami Marik shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...if you do this, our sister will be very sad...and so will Odion...and what about poor Mimi?"

Marik narrowed his eyes. "What about Mimi?"

"After that long separation and then that sweet reunion, you're going to break her heart by killing yourself?"

Marik thought back to how happy he was when he met her in her room, how she had responded to him while they cuddled under the dimmed studio lighting and when he was just an inch away from kissing her. Then his mind turned dark when he remembered the sight of seeing her pale, cold, unresponsive body being held in Kakayu's arms.

"For what you did to her alone, I should kill you! You violated her! You…" he said while remembering her. He choked when he saw the past through Tea's eyes. At the time, he was too weak to take over, but he had enough strength to see what had happened. He wanted to reach out to her when he saw his dark side force himself on her. He wanted to vomit when he saw her body hit the floor, looking like a lifeless corpse. He wanted to reach out and hold her in his arms, but he knew that he would never be able to comfort her. He narrowed his eyes at his dark half. "You're trying to kill her!"

"I didn't try to kill her, Marik. I told her that she would die trying to save you if she agreed to our little shadow game and she didn't listen. You should've seen her working so hard in your honor! It was priceless!" he laughed. "She wanted to save her precious best friend, her sweet Marik! She thought that she could actually beat me and you two would move on towards a bright and happy future. Preposterous! And for what? Sacrificing her life all for the name of love? Pah!" he scoffed.

Marik's heart broke when his mind trailed back to her body hit the ground after her defeat. _'Mimi...I told you not to do anything reckless! Especially not for my sake! You're dying because you tried to save me!'_

While Marik was distracted, the shadow vapor had reached the top of the tower. Yami Marik glanced at the mist and his smile grew widely. "YES!" he screamed. Marik snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the shout. Yami Marik quickly pushed Tea's body away and grabbed the rod. He ran to the mist and started to absorb it, laughing madly as he felt the power coursing through his veins. His muscles felt stronger and bigger. He shoulder pain had vanished and he felt like he was on a caffeine overload. Kakayu's emotions had supplied him with even more dark energy than he had before he used it to heal himself. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. "Well, someone is very angry and dejected right now! I must thank them for their lovely donation!"

Marik felt his stomach turn as he watched. _'Dammit! I'm too late!'_

Before he could think any further, Yami Marik had quickly forced him against the same railing. He pushed the rod against Tea's jaw bone. "I should kill your annoying ass right now!" he threatened. "No, I'll just destroy what's left of you and then carve the girl's body into a thousand tiny pieces instead. I'll be killing two birds with one stone and I'll never have to see you or deal with you again! I will live forever!"

Marik glanced down to the bottom and a fire started to burn within him. Yami Marik tried to strike him with the rod, but Marik quickly made Tea's body leap up onto the railing and performed a handstand in combination with some turns and somersaulted across the tower, landing a good distance away from Yami Marik. He was eternally grateful that Tea was as skilled and athletic as she was because he was sure that they would be dead right now.

"Not a chance, you demon! I'm not going down without a fight! You'll have to kill me first!"

"Ha! Well, if you insist!" With his energy boost, Yami Marik activated the rod again and knocked Marik down with a hard thud. "Let's get started!" He increased the energy output and Tea's body was glued to the floor. Marik started to feel his soul unraveling into nothing and he tried to resist.

"Stop resisting! You're only pieces of memory now! Resisting will just prolong your death! Stop fighting and DIE!"

As Marik continued to resist, Yami Marik used more energy. Marik started to become weaker and his despair started to set in. _'Everyone...I'm so sorry! I'm going to die here...I can't believe it!'_

"Cease this senselessness right now!" a familiar voice commanded.

Yami Marik looked up and ceased. "Oh look, it's my dear sister! Have you come to get in line to get killed too?"

Ishizu glared at him as she panted. "Begone, cretin! You're not my brother and you're not welcome here!"

Marik looked to her in relief, but he continued to grow weaker by the second. "Ishizu, it's too late for me!"

Ishizu turned to him. "No, don't say that! There's hope for us!"

Marik nodded in disagreement and grunted in pain. He felt his control and what little energy he had left slipping away. "Ishizu...take of care Odion and Mimi...tell them I'm sorry and...forget about me…"

Marik's soul faded away and Tea fainted. "Marik! No! Come back!" she pleaded.

Chuckling at Marik's death, he pointed the rod towards Ishizu. "It's your turn now, Ishizu!"

She glared at him and presented a fighting stance, although she knew that she was in trouble without the help of the millennium necklace. Yami Marik readied himself to activate the rod again and smiled. "I'm going to enjoy getting rid of you too!"

"STOP!" Yami's strong voice commanded. The glow of the puzzle glowed intensely from the entrance as he walked towards the Ishtar siblings.

"Well, well! I'm quite popular today!"

Yami glared at him harshly, clearly disgusted with him entirely. "Marik, you've gone far enough! I don't know what you've been doing up here, but you need to stop everything right now!"

He replied with the glow of his rod. With both of their items glowing, the sunlight started to fade and a darkness began to envelop the tower. Ishizu ran over to Tea to make sure that she was alright and prepared to somehow escape with her if trouble came their way. Soon afterwards, the sunlight had reappeared. Yami Marik called off his attack and Yami ceased soon afterwards. Yami stared him down, wondering why he stopped his attack.

"It would be too easy and definitely too boring to kill you this way, pharaoh!"

Yami narrowed his eyes at him, not taking kindly to his words.

"Our fight deserves a better stage! Just you wait…"

His cape billowed in the wind as he walked away, releasing a loud, cackling laugh. Yugi's spirit materialized next to Yami and they both walked over to Tea and Ishizu. "Are you two alright?" he asked.

Still shaken up a bit, Ishizu nodded. "I'm fine and Tea will be fine too."

"I wonder why she came here. She knows that she can't protect herself from Marik's dark magic!"

"Please don't be angry with her, pharaoh. My brother's spirit still resides inside of her mind, but soon we'll lose him…" Ishizu's vision started to blur and she gave Yami a pleading look. "Please, pharaoh! Save my brother! I can't stand the possibility of losing him! He deserves a second chance at life! Please…" she begged, now with tears falling.

Yami and Yugi were shocked at seeing Ishizu cry. They thought of her as a very emotionally strong woman, always displaying an air of power and grace. But they realized that she had enough. She had been too strong for too long; she was a human with real issues of her own. Yami kneeled beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I will do everything in my power to save not only Marik, but everyone. Please don't fret, Ishizu."

Ishizu quietly wiped her face and nodded. She had no choice but to believe in him. A moan had interrupted them. Tea groaned as she woke up. They gave her some space as she sat up. The sunlight stung her eyes and she rubbed her eyes. After her vision cleared, she looked around in confusion.

"Tea, are you alright?" Yami asked.

"I think so…" she replied. "Why am I up here? I thought that I was on my way to check up on Kakayu…"

Yami offered a hand to help her stand up. "I'll explain everything on the way downstairs…" Ishizu replied.

______________________________________

His life points reached zero. He couldn't believe it. He lost.

Seto Kaiba lost to Joey Wheeler.

He stood there in shock. How could this happen to him again? And in less than an hour, no less? Everyone was baffled, even Joey himself.

Joey was an inch away from losing. Kaiba had him cornered. With only 1000 life points to his name and Kaiba with 2500 points of his own, he was staring a Blue Eyes White Dragon in the face. Kaiba had summoned it and had destroyed Joey's last defense. With a stroke of luck, Joey had pulled a trump card: Black hole. He used it to destroy Kaiba's faithful dragon, then used monster reborn. Kaiba was caught off guard and completely defenseless. Joey had launched the final attack. Kaiba was done.

Joey had cheered for his victory. His heart was racing at his stroke of pure luck. For once, he put Kaiba in his place; the underdog had won.

"I would laugh and rub this in your face, but I promised to be civil with ya." Joey said. Kaiba looked at him and scowled. "I fought for Kai today. I didn't like what you said. You need to take back what you said and apologize to her."

Kaiba remained quiet. "You know now that she likes you. For the sake of ya'll's sanity and ours, you need to straighten things out with her."

As much as he wanted to cuss him out, he knew that Joey was right. If he did that, he'd look more like a fool and his reputation meant a lot to him. Also, Kakayu grew on him over time and she did mean a lot to him now. He was always the type to never admit any warm feelings. Hiding behind a cold wall was his safety net and that net had broken.

"And I didn't like what you said either!" Mokuba shouted.

Everyone turned to the younger Kaiba brother. He had stayed silent during the duel and everyone else was so focused too, that they had forgotten that he was there. Shocked by his outburst, Kaiba eyed him intensely.

"Seto...you've been hurting Kakayu's feelings all day! And I'm sure that you hurt her when you didn't go to check on her last night! You've been so wrapped up in this tournament and winning...you've hurt the people that care about you the most!" he cried with tears in his eyes. Kaiba felt guilty; he hadn't seen Mokuba this emotional since they lived in the orphanage.

"I know how she felt...especially when you said that you didn't need anyone...that friendships, relationships and people slow you down...that it's meaningless…" he said, now crying. "You don't need me either? Is that how you really feel?"

"Is that how you really feel?" That question kept echoing in his mind; it was Mokuba and Kakayu in stereo. Everyone decided to stay quiet and not to interrupt.

"Mokuba…" he muttered. "You're the only family I have left...I'll always need you."

Mokuba sniffled as he wiped his tears away. "Then why did you say those awful things?"

As he saw his little brother's crying face, he could see her crying as well. He reached back into his heart, what was left of it that is. His humiliation meter was off the chart. Losing two duels, one to his greatest rival and the other to a guy he barely respected. Then he regretted not doing what was on his heart since he had hurt Kakayu. It was bad enough that his top staff, Ben and Roland, knew about their fight by their demeanors alone, but now the tournament spectators and participants knew results of his elegant way of dealing with the opposite sex. His Battle City was over and now the possibility of being happy with a woman that accepted him was thrown out to sea.

Yugi was and will forever be his greatest rival until he beat him with his own skills. All of the things he went through in life, mostly dark memories, has made him speak from a place of fear and hate. He always felt alone, but now he saw that he was never alone to begin with.

"Mokuba...I'm so sorry…" he said sadly. He quickly walked over to his little brother and hugged him. "I'm sorry…"

Shocked at his sudden moment of weakness and affection, the gang decided to leave the two brothers by their lonesome.

_______________________________________

Kakayu had noticed how much time had passed. It was almost time for the final duel. Grateful that the redness and swollen look from her eyes had disappeared, she quickly made sure that she made herself presentable. Before leaving the room, she stood over her sleeping cousin and said a small prayer.

"Well Mimi, it's time for the final duel. I can only pray that Yugi will beat Marik. Then everyone will okay. I'll cheer him on in your place, okay?"

She felt anything but silly talking to her. She hoped that she could hear her, despite her situation. She gave her one last smile and headed for the Duel Tower. Her heart was racing in anticipation; it was judgment time.

While Joey, Tristan and Duke headed for the tower, they met Ishizu, Yami and Tea half way.

"Yug! Where did you go, man?!"

"I apologize for leaving suddenly, Joey. Something needed my immediate attention. How was your duel with Kaiba?"

"Man! You guys missed it! Joey kicked Kaiba's ass!" Tristan said, which earned him an angry glare from Joey.

"How are you gonna steal my thunder like that, ya asshole?!" Joey yelled.

Tristan replied with a chuckle. "You know when your children do well, you gotta tell the world! I'm so proud of you, son! I taught you well!" he teased.

"Ah shut up! You didn't teach me a damn thing!"

Everyone laughed at them. "Joey, what did I tell you about being civil?" Tea asked.

"You said be civil to moneybags, not this monkey!" he replied while pointing to Tristan.

"Yeah, yeah…" Tristan muttered.

"I'm glad that you were successful in your duel, Joey. I look forward to our own duel." Yami said. The two friends shook hands. "Likewise, buddy!"

Soon, Kakayu had caught up with them. "Hey guys!"

"Kakayu!" Tea exclaimed. "Are you okay?! I was making my way to see you, but I got held up…"

Kakayu gave her a small smile. "Thanks for the thought, but I think that it was best that I was alone for a while. I feel better, though. Thanks for asking."

"Kai! Glad to see you're okay! I just put moneybags in his place, so if he messes with ya again, let me know! I'll kick his ass again in another duel!"

Kakayu blinked a couple of times in confusion. "You dueled Kaiba…? When?" she asked.

"Just now. I couldn't let him hurt your feelings and get away with it! I had to show him who's boss!" he bragged.

"Holy shit! You actually beat Kaiba! I'm impressed! Thank you, Joey!"

Joey gloated loudly. "Anything for my friends!"

Happy over Joey's victory, Kakayu hoped that Kaiba learned something from the duel. "Well it's time—"

"It's time for the final duel." a familiar voice said. Kaiba and Mokuba had appeared behind them moments ago. He locked eyes with Kakayu and she quickly looked away. Her elated mood soured immediately. Kaiba took note and then turned to Yugi. "You better not disappoint me and mess up in your duel. I'll be damned if I gave away my title of Duel King to someone who is worried about losing!"

Yami shot him a stern glare. "I don't intend to lose, Kaiba. Everyone is depending on me to win and end this madness with Marik."

"Yeah, yeah." he muttered. "Get back to the top of the tower. We don't have all day!" he said, leaving everyone behind.

Everyone quietly followed and gathered at the dueling platform. Yami Marik eyed them evilly, eagerly waiting to start the duel. _'The pharaoh might have two Egyptian god cards, but that won't help him against Ra…'_ the Egyptian thought. 'I can't wait to burn him into oblivion once I use Ra's one turn kill!'

Everyone had glared at him in return. Their hearts started to beat faster as they thought about what was to come. If Yugi lost, they were as good as dead. Joey quietly pulled Yugi to the side and sighed, which worried him.

"What's troubling you, Joey?"

"Yug...because of me fainting, I couldn't save Mai and Mims. Please...kick Marik's ass and save them!"

Yami nodded with a small smile. "I'll do my best, Joey."

Roland walked to the center of the platform. "Would the next two duelists please gather on the platform! It's almost time to begin!"

While Yami and Yami Marik took their respective places, everyone stood back and prepared to watch the final duel. Kaiba stood beside Ishizu with his arms crossed. She closed her eyes and said another small prayer before deciding to speak to Kaiba.

"Are you excited for the duel?"

"Hmph." he replied. "I'll just be happy when it's over." he replied coldly, not even bothering to look at her.

Ishizu frowned. "You seem as if you're angry. I hope that you're not feeling blighted about losing to the pharaoh."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he thought about his defeat and his fists tightened. After staying silent for a moment, Ishizu brushed off his attitude and tried to move the conservation along. "Well Kaiba, at least in this duel, we might be blessed enough to see all of the god cards being played. I'm confident that with gods under his command, the pharaoh will be victorious. You should think of Obelisk being your offering to help him. It would be as if you won the duel as well."

Kaiba scoffed. "Look, although Yugi has two god cards, the possibility of him winning against Ra is only three percent. After doing some research on Ra, I know that with its One Turn Kill ability, its power can't be compared to the other two god cards. Since I believed that I was going to be the one to duel Marik…" he said with an irritated tone. "I have a card that I was going to use against it, but it would only raise the winning chance to twenty percent."

"Really? If that's true, why don't you lend it to the pharaoh? It would be great if you helped him." she replied, hoping that he would actually step in and help.

Kaiba glared at Yami. _'I would love to see him lose for once…'_ he thought. Then he glanced over to Kakayu, whose attention was focused on the two finalists. The image of her crying and yelling earlier, along with their fight raided his mind. He was happy that she wasn't looking and glaring at him, but he knew that if he caught her staring at him, at least he was on her mind. Her anger and cold disdain for him could be felt a mile away. _'But...if she found out that I had a card that could turn the tables for this duel and help Yugi...she'd never forgive me. I'm pretty sure that she'll never talk to me again, especially if Minami doesn't wake up...'_

He sighed as Yami glared at his opponent. Before the two could shuffle their decks, Kaiba had a change of heart.

"Wait, Yugi." he called. He fished the card out of his deck and flinged it to him. "Use this to defeat Marik."

Yami caught the card coolly between his fingers and stared at it. 'Fiend token?' he thought. He turned his attention back to his rival and gave him a look of confusion. _'He's actually helping us?'_ they wondered.

Everyone was also surprised by his random act of kindness. Kakayu eyed him suspiciously and pondered on his actions. "Don't look at me like that!" he spat. "You said earlier that the strength of your friends brings you victory. I'm entrusting that card and its possibilities to you. Can you make a miracle happen?" he asked.

Yami stared at the card again and placed it in his deck. "Thank you, Kaiba. I won't let your generosity die in vain."

Kaiba brushed his words aside and looked at Roland. "Start the duel." he commanded. Roland nodded. "The final duel of the Battle City Finals, Yugi Mutou vs Marik Ishtar is about to begin!" he announced. "Duelists, please shuffle your opponent's deck."

Yami Marik flashed his fang-like teeth and laughed loudly as he shuffled Yami's deck. "I don't know what card Kaiba gave you, but it's not going to help you! You better pray for everyone's sake that Ra ends up on the bottom of my deck, pharaoh! It's finally time for us to settle this!"

Yami and his host glared at him. _'Just for that, I hope that it really does end up on the bottom!'_ Yugi thought. "I'll defeat you and not only free your good side from the darkness, but I'll save your victims too. Your terror stops here!" he replied. Yami Marik's eyes widened as veins appeared grossly on his face. "Is that so?! Well come and get me!"

As they were preparing to start, Ishizu turned to Kaiba. "Thank you Kaiba."

"For what?"

"For deciding to help the pharaoh. I'm glad that you had a change of heart."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Just because I helped him as you wished, Yugi still has to figure out how to use the card. If he figures it out, he'll create a miracle. Let's see if he can do it."

"Well, I trust the pharaoh and I believe that a friend's power is able to defeat a god."

Kaiba ignored her and waited for the duel to start. Yami Marik and Yugi gave each other their decks back and inserted them into their Duel Disks after returning to their side of the field. The gang cheered Yami on, encouraging him and wishing him nothing but the best. Ishizu eyed them carefully. 'Please, pharaoh! Defeat my brother's dark heart and save him! Then we'll all be able to move on!' she pleaded.

"The duel starts now!" Roland commanded.

Yami Marik laughed again and licked the shiny gold of the millennium rod. "I've been waiting for this for a long time! Let the fun begin!"

He raised the ancient object to the blue sky and it shined violently. Once again, the tower was surrounded by the familiar, yet unwelcome black and purple shadows. It sent a chill down everyone's spines.

"I've prepared the ultimate dark game just for you, pharaoh!" he said with his tongue slithering about. "It's time to show you the first of your surprises!"

The rod glowed again and a light pierced through the shadows. Mai appeared in her hour glass prison, floating above them in the sky. Now she was nearly buried up to her chest in sand.

"MAI!" everyone called out. Mai didn't reply, as her life force was almost drained. Yami Marik snickered as he sent Mai away into the shadows once more. "But wait! There's more! She's not the only one who's in danger!"

The rod glowed again. Suddenly, Yugi felt weird, as if he had been drugged. He felt like he was floating in midair, but his hands and legs were bound. He blinked his blank eyes for a moment before his confusion left him.

"Yugi!" Yami shouted. "You have your own body…?"

Yugi's eyes returned to normal. "What the…" he muttered.

Yugi appeared floating above and next to Yami, his wrists and ankles bound by rings of darkness. He struggled in vain trying to release himself from the dark rings.

"If you lose the duel, partner will die." Yami Marik stated calmly.

Yami quickly turned to him with fury in his violet eyes. "Leave Yugi out of this! This is between you and me!"

"Don't make such a fuss about this. To play fair…."

Marik's good spirit began to materialize above and next to his evil half, gaining gasps from everyone. Unlike Yugi, Marik was unconscious. His body hung limp like a rag doll in midair. "My weaker half will be joining us! If I lose, he dies." he chuckled. "This is going to be a great duel! You'll die, he'll die, everyone fucking dies!" he laughed evilly. "Now let's get started."

He grew a card and placed a card on his duel disk. "I summon Vampiric Leech!(500)"

A huge disgusting, green roly-poly looking leech with red tentacles and matching sharp teeth appeared on the field. "Attack him directly!" Yami Marik commanded.

"You can't do that!" Yami argued.

"Watch me!" The leech attacked Yami directly, stabbing him in his stomach. Yami grunted in pain, but Yugi screamed in agony. A portion of his leg disintegrated and disappeared into the darkness.

"YUGI!" everyone screamed. Yugi was sweating bullets and breathing heavily, wishing for the pain to subside. He felt like his leg was snapped in half and on fire.

"When you lose life points, your other half will lose a piece of himself to the darkness. When your life points reach zero, he'll be gone for good! But don't worry, though! If it makes you feel any better, the same rule applies to my weaker half."

Yami scowled at the hellbent maniac. He wanted to help his friend desperately. "You're insane! I won't duel you, not like this! Not with Yugi and Marik's lives on the line! We're only on the first turn and you've already gone too far!"

"Oh, you will duel me, whether you like it or not! We're playing by my rules now and I can and will end Yugi's life at any time if I feel like it with a snap of my fingers." he threatened. "Are you really going to risk everyone's lives for the sake of one life? Shameful, really…"

Yami was ready to attack, but Yugi stopped him.

"Yami...don't worry about me. You have to continue fighting! Everyone's counting on you!" he said.

"But Yugi! You're in terrible pain!" he argued.

Yugi shook his head. "I'm fine. Keep fighting! I'll be fighting right beside you! We've been through a lot together! I was chosen to complete the millennium puzzle and you've lent me your strength many times over. Now let me lend you strength so we can beat Marik's evil heart!"

Yami nodded. "Thank you, Yugi."

_'If I win, Marik's good half will die...but if I lose, everyone will die...how am I going to win this duel?'_ he wondered. He took a deep breath and turned to his opponent. _'We have to win!'_

"Let's duel!"

"Finally! I was beginning to fall asleep over here! It's still my turn!" he said. "I activate another of Vampiric Leech's special abilities! By discarding a card, I can switch it to defense position at the end of my turn."

The leech changed positions after its master discarded an important card. Yami Marik looked down to his hand and smiled. He sent Ra to the graveyard and all he needed was monster reborn. Then he would be the winner of the ultimate shadow game.

After a fierce tit for tat, Yami managed to summon Slifer with six thousand attack points. Everyone cheered, thinking that Yami had the duel in the bag. That hope was short lived when Yami Marik activated a magic card, Dark Spell Regeneration. That card allowed Yami Marik to move any magic card from the graveyard back to the field. Dark Marik played Monster Reborn from the graveyard, using it to revive Ra in its god phoenix form. Unfortunately, Slifer's attack was deflected harmlessly. In its phoenix mode, Ra was immune to all attacks for one turn.

Ra burned Slifer into ashes and engulfed Yami and Yugi in a fire cyclone. Their screams could be heard, worrying the audience. It brought back the awful memory of seeing Joey endure the same thing just a short time ago. Luckily, Ra didn't drain Yami of his strength, but it cost Yugi another portion of his body. Now his arms were gone, leaving his hands to float alone. He had also lost his legs from the knee down, only leaving his tiny feet. Marik had also lost parts of his body, but was too weak to respond to the pain.

Ra shrieked before Monster Reborn's magic faded away, sending it back to the graveyard. Grateful for their luck, they had placed their hope in Obelisk.

Yami Marik had placed his hope in Ra's One Turn Kill. He played another Monster Reborn, bringing Ra from the graveyard once more. Then he began to chant another incantation, activating Ra's special ability. The mighty sun god transformed back into its phoenix mode.

"Let me show you something interesting, pharaoh…"

Everyone watched in astonishment as Yami Marik's body began to dissolve into the darkness. "I'm transforming my life points into Ra's attack points."

His body continued to dissolve and merged with Ra, just like he did when he dueled against Bakura and Marik. At the base of Ra's talon, a single eye and hand of Yami Marik's remained on the field. Most of Marik's body had been consumed by the shadows and didn't respond to the pain. The rest of his fused body appeared within the huge blue jewel on Ra's forehead.

"This is the same tactic I used to attack Bakura and my good side." he said. "By giving up all but one of my life points to increase Ra's attack...now you know what happened to your little friend."

Ra's attack rose to 2999, while Yami Marik's life points shifted down to one. Then he sacrificed his other monster, Juragedo. Ra absorbed its attack points and had an attack strength of 4699. It was more than enough to finish Yami off.

"This is the One Turn Kill. You're dead!" he cackled.

Everyone's hearts had sank. Yami was defenseless and was wide open for a direct attack. Yami Marik launched an attack, but Yami wasn't too worried. He activated his face down card, the card that Kaiba gave him. The reflective metal token emerged from a white magic circle. It stood in front of Yami, coming to his defense.

Annoyance of seeing that Yami had spared himself from death another round had quickly turned into worry. The token reflected Yami Marik's single eye and he had launched his attack at Yugi. He was going to lose at the hand of his own monster. Before he could be hit, Yami Marik had used his Defusion magic card, sparing him. Yami growled. He had hope that would've worked, but the Egyptian was becoming more craftier as the duel progressed. The only good thing that came from Yami Marik's last minute save was the most of Marik's body had returned from the shadows. Marik started to awaken slowly. He could here everyone and felt his body suspended in the air. Finally feeling some strength coming to him, part of his soul left the field.

____________________________________

In Odion's dark room, Marik's soul slowly materialized next to Odion's bed. He took a seat on the stool that Ishizu had been occupying earlier. The room was quiet, minus the medical equipment that continued to monitor his brother's condition. Looking over to the monitors, he was happy so see that Odion still had life in him. Luckily, his heart was nowhere close to flat-lining and he continued to sleep peacefully. He looked over to him again and sighed heavily. He noticed that some parts of his body didn't materialize, but he sadly brushed it off. He knew what that meant for his soul.

"Odion…" he muttered. Marik grew solemn, wishing to hear Odion's voice, to see him move with life, but he knew that wasn't going to happen, at least while he had enough strength to move around. "Odion...I had to see you one last time before I...before I go to the Dark World and die…" he said sadly. "I'm so sorry...I wanted to tell you that...you've done nothing but protect me and stayed by my side through thick and thin since the day I was born...and all I did was repay you with disrespect and anger…"

Marik's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed at his thoughts. "I broke the rules of our clan and murdered our father. I'm a horrible person...I was a monster...and although I'm about to pay the ultimate price and suffer for eternity, I don't think that I'll ever be truly forgiven for my sins against everyone."

Marik twiddled his thumbs and smiled lightly as he released a small chuckle. "And I know what you'd say to me right now if you were awake...you would say that it wasn't my fault, that I didn't kill father, but…"

Then his smile faltered. "Although I wasn't in my right mind, I still created that darkness from my heart...he lives because I couldn't cope with the stipulations of the tomb keeper's initiation…"

Marik closed his eyes and thought back to the day of his initiation. The damning fear of the upcoming pain he would endure and the trapped feeling he had when the other tomb keepers dragged him down the hall like a criminal awaiting death row flooded his mind. He remembered being stripped down to his waist and tied down by his wrists and ankles like a wild animal on a cold, flat stone slab face down. After he felt them sterilize his back and they gagged him, he laid there fearfully awaiting the first burning cut of his father's blade. He jumped wildly and screamed with every cut, hot tears staining his face and wishing that he could escape from his torture.

It felt like he'd been restrained for hours before he was returned to his room. His back was heavily bandaged and he could barely move. His heart fell into the darkness.

"You even scarred your face to make me feel like I wasn't alone…you suffered when I suffered all for my sake and showed immense loyalty...and I still disrespected you...I didn't acknowledge your sacrifice...I'm awful!"

He felt a single tear run down his cheek. "But I can thank you, Odion. Because of you and your sacrifice, I was able to suppress my dark half, but now…"

The visions of his evil side haunted him once more. Thinking of his demon made him sick. "You're like this because of me. I wish that I had listened to you this entire time…forgive me."

A minute had passed before he started to speak again.

"I don't know where your soul and mind is wandering right now, but you don't have to suffer for me any longer. Please keep chasing the light Odion. Please take care of yourself, Ishizu and...Mimiki."

Marik felt some strength leave him, but he couldn't let himself succumb any further. He had one more thing to do. Purple wisps of vapor start to emanate from his soul. Marik started to fade away once more and he took one last look at his comatose brother.

"Goodbye Odion. I'm sorry."

Marik's soul had disappeared.

___________________________________________

Marik's soul once again slowly materialized in another room. The room was quiet just like Odion's room, but had a different occupant. He materialized on a stool next to the side of the bed and looked over to its occupant.

"Mimi…"

Just like Odion, she was sleeping soundly and peacefully. The beeping medical equipment was a hard reminder of why she was also in a comatose state. He reached out to her and rubbed her cheek, although his fingers passed through her body. He could feel the warmth of her body and it reminded him of when he visited her the night before, but his soul felt heavy because this time, her eyes weren't open and she wasn't talking with him. She was still slightly pale. He stiffened and placed his forehead on hers.

"Mimi...why?!" he asked, tears threatening to fall. "You promised me you wouldn't do this! You promised…!" he cried. "You weren't supposed to have a shadow game with him...you weren't supposed to duel him because of me! I didn't want you to end up like this…I don't want you to die again!"

He sniffled as his body shook with sobs. "I'm so sorry for everything I put you through...I never wanted this fate for you...for us! I thought that I was doing the right thing...I tried I do the right thing, but I failed...I'm so sorry…" he sobbed. "I love you, Mimiki! I'm so sorry…"

He wished that she could hear him, but she knew that she couldn't respond. The room remained silent for a moment until Marik thought he heard something.

_"Marik…"_ a familiar voice called.

He jumped up and looked at Mimiki, but she was still asleep. His hope that had built up was gone as quickly as it came and he fell back into his dark despair. With another heavy sigh, he heard the voice again.

_"Marik…"_

Marik soon found his soul disappearing again. He felt a strong force was pulling him away and he left the room.

In another dimension, Marik's soul had materialized again. His soul floated downwards in the purple abyss until he reached a stone fence circled garden. He quickly landed at the edge of the garden and took a few steps inside. What should've been a beautiful red rose garden was now filled with black roses. The healthy green vines were now grey. He saw something at the center of the garden and he felt that his soul was being called there. Marik walked to the center and his heart dropped.

_"MIMIKI!"_ he shouted.

The roses and vines that encased her body were starting to lose their vibrant color at the base of her feet. Mimiki's head still hung limp as Marik called out to her. He cupped her tear stained face to look at her. She didn't react to his touch.

_"MIMIKI! MIMIKI!"_ he called. _"IT'S ME! PLEASE WAKE UP!"_ he pleaded. _"MIMIKI!"_

After a moment of silence and a ton of wishing for her to wake up, Mimiki groaned and met Marik with half-opened eyes. Her vision was blurred, but it cleared up shortly afterwards. _"Marik…?"_ she muttered.

A big smile graced Marik's face. _"Is it really you, Marik?"_ she asked weakly. He nodded happily, filled with relief that she was awake.

_"Yes, Mimi...it's me! I'm here!"_ he replied.

She smiled weakly and became glassy eyed. She shed a tear and he wiped it away with his thumb. It was a pleasant feeling to be able to comfort her again. _"Marik...I'm so happy to see you...and I can feel your touch...I missed you so much…"_

He agreed with a nod. _"I missed you too, Mimi."_

_"Marik...I'm so sorry...I didn't listen to you...but I tried to help...I had to try...I'm so sorry…"_ she sobbed. _"I just wanted to save you…"_

Seeing her cry made him want to cry. He continued to wipe her tears away and gave her a weak smile.

_"Mimiki you idiot…"_ he replied. _"I told you to go to bed and not to worry about me...just because you love me, doesn't mean that you had to put yourself in harm's way for me…"_

Mimiki chuckled. _"But that's why...I did it...don't you know…that people do stupid things...when they're in love?"_ she replied weakly. She coughed a little, worrying Marik. _"Marik...I'm so weak…"_

Marik silenced her with a finger to her lips. _"Then don't talk, Mimiki. Save your strength."_

Mimiki closed her eyes and stayed silent for a moment. _"Marik...am I going to die again really soon?"_

More tears fell and he wiped them away again. _"No...you're not going to die...don't think that way! You're such a good person and have a whole life ahead of you. You will live. The pharaoh and Yugi are dueling my dark side right now in the final duel. They'll end this..."_

_'I hope…'_

Mimiki smiled. _"Yugi...made it to the final duel…? I knew...that he would...Yugi always...saves the day...we'll be okay...everything...and everyone be okay…"_

Marik admired her faith and hope, but he wished he could be as hopeful as her. She opened her eyes again and stared into his lavender eyes and pursed her lips. Marik didn't need for her to say another word. He leaned forward to kiss her once again; and this time they could feel each other's warmth and love for one another, but it was another bittersweet kiss.

Mimiki broke the kiss and grunted in pain again as another rose had turned black and fell back into her slumber. Marik worried about her current state and released her face. He groaned in pain as well as his soul began to disappear once more. Before he completely disappeared, he glanced at her once more, trying to gain the faith and hope that she had for the future.

___________________________________

During Marik's visitations to Odion and Mimiki, the two finalists were fighting fiercely. Yami had lost 1000 more life points at the cost of maintaining the fiend token. To avoid causing more pain and loss to Yugi, Yami had multiplied the chrome fiend token with a magic card and used them as a sacrifice to summon Obelisk. Everyone cheered Yami for his quick thinking. The towering blue god slammed his fist into Yami Marik at Yami's command, attacking him directly. The shock wave from Obelisk's punch was heavy and it shoved his body, spinning several times before slamming into the railing of the platform. His cards flew about and silvers of smoke emanated from his body. Ironically, he landed on his head and the same shoulder he fell on earlier during his confrontation with his good side. Obelisk's attack left him with 700 life points.

Tristan was so excited that he grabbed Duke around his neck to celebrate. "This is so awesome!"

Tea nodded in agreement. "I knew that Yugi would turn things around, as always!"

Kakayu smiled and clapped as well. "When does he not turn things around? He's always been awesome! That monster got what was coming to him!"

Joey grinned. "Yeah! Take a look at Marik! He didn't know what hit him! Yugi floored him! All he needs is one more attack to win!"

Even Mokuba cheered for him, but Kaiba wasn't convinced about him winning so soon. _'He let Yugi attack him too easily...he's up to something…'_

Ishizu was also in the same boat as Kaiba. _'He won't be defeated that easily...please continue fighting wisely and be careful, my pharaoh!'_

Yami Marik rolled his eyes at their commentary and used a small portion of his dark energy to heal himself. His eye twitched as he stood back up with a grotesque look on his face, his long tongue laid outside his mouth.

"Impressive…" he said. "But it'll take more than that to keep me down!"

He looked over to the spirit of his good side. Marik's soul had returned, but thanks to Obelisk's direct attack, he lost a ton of his soul to the shadows. Only one eye, part of his face and hands remained on the field. "Remember, I might be hurting, but he's hurting a lot more than me! You're doing a shitty job at saving him! Hell, even I could do better than that if I wanted to do such a thing!"

Yugi quickly looked down at Yami. "As much as I hate to agree with him, but he's right. Please tread lightly and be careful. If you continue to attack like this, we'll lose Marik. We have to protect Marik's good side, just like we promised Ishizu."

"Yes, but if I lose, we'll lose you too, Yugi."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" he replied. "The real enemy is Marik's dark heart and we must save it for everyone's sake!"

Yami looked at his deck and narrowed his eyes. _'I understand that, but I don't know how I'm going to save everyone!'_

Yami Marik smirked. "You should feel honored, pharaoh! Out of all of the lives I'm destroying, yours is the most amusing by far!" he taunted with a loud roar. "And I promise you that the worst is yet to come!"

"What are you talking about, Marik?!"

"You'll see…you activated my trap card!"

Yami Marik revealed his face down trap card, Metal Reflect Slime. A chrome colored plasma creature appeared and quickly took on the shape of Obelisk. It was a complete replica that stood toe to toe with the original. Everyone stared in horror as the two Obelisks stared each other down. They hoped that Yami Marik's Obelisk copy was just that—a copy and a cheap one at that and that Yami would destroy it.

Yami Marik used his copy to protect his life points until he could summon Ra once more. He pulled another card, Revival Jam, and summoned the familiar monster. He then fused it with his god slime and showed no physical change.

"I know what you're thinking, but I can assure you that I've transformed my beast into a more powerful monster! Attack, if you wish!" Yami Marik said. "I end my turn."

Yami, not convinced by Yami Marik's words, drew a card and summoned Big Shield Gardna as a defense. He ordered Obelisk to attack its copycat. His powerful fist blasted the copy and slime splattered everywhere, causing everyone to cover and duck for protection.

"I've beaten your copy, Marik!" Yami said.

He laughed in return. "Didn't I tell you that my monster was more powerful?! It's indestructible!"

"WHAT?!"

The splattered slime quickly merged together again. "Now that it's fused with Revival Jam, it'll regenerate itself." he informed. "Now most of my plan is complete. Thanks to my invincible defense monster, my life points can't be damaged. It's impossible to defeat me." he said with a sickening smile.

"This was your plan from the start, wasn't it?!" Yami asked with tight fists.

All he did was answer with a smile. Everyone didn't want to believe that.

"I'm not worried for Yug." Joey said. "He'll figure out how to take that thing down!"

"That doesn't look so promising…" Duke said.

Everyone glared at him. "Don't you even dare." Kakayu growled. "Everyone's counting on him! He won't lose! He'll beat Marik and everyone will wake up and move on with their lives!"

"Yeah! It's not time for you to turn into a Debbie Downer, Duke!" Tea added.

"Sorry, sorry!"

After sneaking a glance at Kakayu, Kaiba focused on the duel. He had to admit, Marik was smart to lead him into such an elaborate trap, but he didn't like what he was seeing. 'You better not lose, Yugi! Figure this out and win!'

Yami, sweating and slightly panicking mentally, growled lowly and ended his turn. Yami Marik drew another card, set a face down card and summoned another monster, Boganian, before ending his turn. Marik could see what was going on in his weakened state. He eyed Yami solemnly.

_'I wish that I could hope like Mimi does...but at this rate, I can't see the light...all I can do is wait for the darkness to consume me…this is my fate...'_ he thought before he dozed off.

Yami took his turn. He set one card face down and sacrificed Big Shield Gardna to summon Dark Magician Girl. Seeing the Dark Magician Girl reminded Kakayu of Mimiki. _'Mimi...I wish that you were here to see this…'_

Yami ordered Dark Magician Girl to attack Yami Marik's monster, but Marik activated his trap card, Jam Defender, which redirected all attacks to the god Slime. In return, Dark Magician Girl was thrown down and Yami lost another 1000 life points, leaving him with 1300 points. It pained him to hear Yugi scream in pain as more of his body was lost to the shadows. Yami cursed under his breath. _'Now none of Marik's other monsters can be attacked! What am I going to do?!'_

Suddenly, he heard Yugi scream again. More of his body disappeared, this time it was his chest. He started to sweat and was breathing heavily; he almost shed a tear. "What's going on?!" Yami asked. "Yugi! Are you alright?!"

Yami Marik chuckled. "Oh how could I let that slip my mind? Boganian's effect takes away 300 of your life points."

"I'm okay...just keep on fighting!" Yugi replied.

Yami shot a worried look at his partner. _'But for how long?! I have to end this!'_

"The shadows are feasting on little Yugi!" he said. "The way this is going, I will be Pharaoh...you might as well bow down to me now…" he taunted.

Everyone urged Yami to continue on and tried to give him hope. Their shouts awoken Marik. He stared at Yami again. "Yugi…" he muttered softly.

What was left of Marik's spirit entered Tea once again. She gasped and looked onward to the duelists with her blank stare, quiet as a doll. Everyone looked over to her and saw the blank stare.

"Yugi." she called out. "You mustn't hesitate. You must defeat my dark side at all costs!"

Everyone eyed her strangely. "Tea, you okay? Why are you talking like that?!" Joey asked.

"Marik...?" Yami asked.

"I'm prepared to die. Don't worry about protecting me and don't hesitate."

Joey grabbed her by her shoulders. "Tea, you're freaking us out! Snap out of it!"

Marik quickly grew annoyed with him. _'How Mimi dealt with him all this time is beyond me!'_

"Would you stop shaking me?!" he yelled. "There's no time to play around!"

He removed Joey's hands off Tea and Joey backed away from her. "Why are you acting like this?!" Joey asked.

"In case that shadow game fried some of your brain, Tea's being overshadowed by Marik's good side again. Just sit and watch." Kakayu said.

He smirked at her and gave her a smile of thanks before focusing on Yami again. "Kill my evil heart and let the shadows take me."

"It really is Marik talking!" Yugi said.

Yami Marik glared at him. _'So I didn't do well in killing him earlier...he still inhabits that girls' body! Doesn't he know when to give up?!'_

"I swore revenge on you for my father's death, but now I know the truth...the one who killed my father was my evil heart!" he said, pointing to his dark side.

Yami Marik laughed at him. "You're pitiful! It's too late! Now matter what you do, you have to die!"

Marik growled at him. "I'll take you with me, you bastard!"

"No one can destroy me, fool!"

Ishizu quickly ran over to him and grabbed Tea by her shoulders. "Please, Marik! Don't do this!"

"Do what?"

"Don't surrender yourself to stop him! Please! There's hope ahead, brother!"

"I'm sorry sister, but there's no other way." he replied. He turned to Yami again. "Bury my evil heart in the darkness!"

Yami Marik scoffed. "This is just a waste of my time. There's no way I can lose!" he replied with his grotesque face. His veins were covering his jawbone now. Ignoring his good side, he drew a card. "I play Mining for Magical Stones! This allows me to discard two cards in order to transfer one magic card from my graveyard to my hand. And I chose Monster Reborn! In one more turn, I'll bring back the Winged Dragon of Ra to finish you off once and for all!"

"I had a feeling he'd do that!" Yugi said. "But it seems like Ra is impossible to destroy!"

"No, Yugi. There's one chance left for us to win, but it won't be easy."

Yami Marik's face had become more disfigured. His eyes looked like huge bug like eyes and he continued to gloat. "It's time to DIE!" he said.

Back on the airship, Odion's golden eyes flew open. The pain from the lightning strike was still there, but it was dull. He rubbed his head and felt a painful bruise from where the lightning struck him. He winced after he touched it and adjusted his eyes to the environment. He tried to sit up, but an overwhelming wave of dizziness washed over him. Odion started to breathe heavily, but he knew he couldn't stop.

He heard Marik's words. He knew what he had to do. He carefully removed the IV from his arm and the heart monitor suction cups from his chest and looked around for his shoes. After a few minutes, he found them and slipped into them. It was time for him to save his master.

Slowly but surely, Odion painfully dragged himself to the Duel Tower. His pain made the short distance seem even longer than it was. He panted as he looked up to the shadow consumed peak. __'I have to hurry!'__

__

He dragged himself to the elevator and anxiously waited for it to arrive. He was grateful that it arrived in less than a minute. He rubbed his head as he anxiously waited to arrive at the top; he now had a migraine. He just hoped that he would have the strength to help Marik. Images of Marik filled his mind from the time he was born, up until now. Marik always had a gentle, innocent and curious spirit; that type of soul didn't deserve to fall into the pit of darkness that threatened to kill him at any moment. Odion remembered Marik's words: he was the only one that could control the evil within him.

_'It's my sworn duty to protect you, Master Marik…'_ he thought. _'I will not allow your dark side to kill you!'_

Odion's mind had trailed back to their time in Egypt. Mother Ishtar had taken him in ad a baby and treated him like she was her son. Although they weren't blood relatives, Ishizu and Marik had always loved him as if they were siblings. He smiled at remembering the time that they spent together. He always wanted to become a tomb keeper, but Father Ishtar never accepted him, especially after Mother Ishtar had died. Now that they were both gone, Ishizu and Marik were the only family he had left. He felt like he could finally become a tomb keeper now, by saving Marik.

_'You both have given me so much...let me return the favor…'_ The elevator had begun to slow down as it reached the top of the tower. It was soon time to move on.

At the duel, Yami Marik stood confidently with his arms crossed as he stared at Yami. "Go ahead and attack me! Break your promise to Ishizu and kill the only chance you have to left to save my weak side! DO IT!"

Yugi looked over to Yami worryingly. "Will your plan really kill the good Marik?"

Before he could answer, Odion had began to climb the steps to the platform, clearly struggling with his headache. _'I hope that I'm not too late…'_ he thought.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, he stopped to catch his breath. "Master Marik! I will protect you!" he yelled with all of his strength.

His voice startled everyone and they turned to him. "It's Odion!" Ishizu exclaimed.

Marik, who only had one eye and some hair left, had looked over to Odion. _'Odion…?'_ he thought. His vision was blurred, but he forced himself to focus. Seconds later, his vision had cleared and his eye had widened in surprise. _'It's him! Odion!'_ His soul had jumped for joy. His brother was finally awake again and it made him want to cry.

"Master Marik! You can't give up! There's still time to repent and start over!"

Yami Marik growled at the sight of his oppressor. "Don't you dare and try to encourage him! There's no turning back! There's no hope for him! He's almost dead!" he growled.

Odion refused to believe his words and continued to stumble towards the Duel Ring. His defiance pissed Yami Marik off further.

"We were doing just fine without you! I don't care if you're alive, you're not going to make me switch places with my other self! I'm not going anywhere!"  
Marik remained hopeful. He tried to channel the hope that Mimiki had displayed earlier. _'If she can hope for the best, I can too!'_  
Odion ignored him and stumbled once more. Everyone worried about his condition. Joey had come to respect the Egyptian and took a couple of steps to help him, but Ishizu had stopped him. When he looked over to question her, she shook her head sternly. "No, this is Odion's mission. Let him do this on his own."

Her fierce blue eyes had told Joey not to question her, and he didn't bother. They all watched as Odion stopped at the edge of the Duel Ring. He glared intensely at Yami Marik.

"Release my Master right now!" he demanded.

Yami Marik scoffed at him. "Do you honestly think that just because you managed to bring your ass here after being struck down by lightning, that I'm going to give into your demands?! Fuck you!" he spat. "You're too late! I've taken over and the shadow have eaten almost all of his soul! His soul is like a candle flame in the wind! He will die when the wind howls!"

"That's not true!" he replied. "I've come here to make sure that the gentle spirit of Master Marik returns! It is you that shall die, demon!"

Yami Marik didn't take too kindly to his words. He quickly felt threatened and whipped out the millennium rod. "No! Shut the fuck up!" he screamed. He used his magic to slam Odion's body into the far wall. Odion grunted in pain and everyone gasped loudly.

"You alright, man?!" Joey shouted.

Odion slowly stood up and gave a nod to Joey before approaching the Duel Ring again. "Master Marik…" he called out. "Don't allow your struggle to seal yourself away in Hell's darkness! You can't let him win!"

"Shut up!" Yami Marik quickly blasted him with another wave of magic, sending him flying again. Although Ishizu had stopped Joey from helping Odion earlier, she couldn't stand to see him get hurt any longer. She quickly ran over to his side. She tried to help him up, but he declined. He struggled to get on his feet again, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Panting heavily, he began to walk towards the ring again.

"I know that you feel guilty; it's alright! We all make mistakes! If you want to move on, then you have to make things right! That applies to everyone! You created him and you have the power to stop him! Make him become your footstool!"

After seeing Odion fight for him, Marik's soul started to fill will hope. Marik closed his eye and faded away.

"I'm sick of your bullshit! I should've killed your ass a long time ago! DIE!"

Yami Marik summoned a giant tsunami of magic from deep inside him. Just as he raised his rod, he screamed in pain and quickly clinched his face, dropping the rod. Everyone looked up curiously at him, wondering what was happening. His missing eye was now occupied by the good Marik's eye. Odion smiled weakly. "Yes, that's it, Master Marik! Fight! Fight him with all of your might!" he cheered.

Marik smiled quickly and was happy, but his other side didn't feel the same. "No! I've come too far to lose my grip now!" he screamed. "Why does he have so much...strength?! Marik! I'll make you pay for trying to beat me! You'll regret this, I swear!"

Marik ignored his threat and continued to fight. Yami Marik removed his hand from his eye. Marik's eye stared sternly at Yami.

"Pharaoh! Attack us now!"

Yami quickly declined. "No, I can't!"

"Please!" he pleaded. "I don't have the strength to hold on much longer and I need your help to banish my dark half! I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and your friends. As a tomb keeper, I was raised to serve you, but I always resented this task, and from my resentment and hatred my dark half was born. But now I'm ready to take responsibility for my actions and correct the wrongs I've committed."

Marik started to feel his evil half fight for control and a bigger dark energy was trying to grow in the background. He didn't have much time. "Attack now! Trust me!"

Yugi looked over to Yami again. "We can't attack him! It's too risky! We might kill him!"

Yami disagreed. "No, Yugi. He's serious about this. I can feel his determination. He wants to bet everything on his final attack. He wants to make amends for his sins, so we must trust him."

Yugi released a heavy breath. "Okay. Let's do this."

Yami nodded and took a deep breath. "I activate my magic card: Ragnarok!" he announced.

The face down card flipped upright and his two magicians stood by it. Everyone stared in anticipation to see what would really happen.

"By removing all the monsters in my hand, deck, and graveyard from play, I can destroy all of my enemy's monsters!"

Suddenly magenta spirit orbs of his monsters appeared on the field and transformed into their respective physical forms. Everyone watched in awe as the army of monsters attacked Ra. Slifer wrapped its snake like body around the golden dragon and Obelisk held it in a choke hold while the two magicians waited.

"I've never seen anything like this before!" Mokuba exclaimed. "It's so cool!"

Kaiba chose to remain stone-faced, but deep inside, he was impressed. Yami Marik panicked quickly. "No! Let me go!" he screamed.

The two magicians raised and crossed their staffs. Their purple and pink magic combined to form a gigantic magic circle in the sky, high above Ra's head. More magic began to form near their staffs as they began to rise in the air, determined to finish off the god dragon. Ra was lifted in the air with them. After the orbs of magic had grown in size, Yami knew that it was time.

"Now! Black Magic Attack!"

The two magicians threw the orb at Yami Marik and his dragon as they were thrown into the magic circle. He screamed as the energy of the blast ripped his soul apart. The explosion blinded everyone momentarily. The magicians returned to Yami's side of the field. The light began to fade and smoke covered his side of the field. Everyone peaked over to Marik's side. Ra's silhouette could no longer be seen. Everyone cheered loudly.

"Yug did it! He go rid of Ra!"

"Does that mean that he won?" Tea asked.

Joey shook his head. "No, not yet." he replied. "Marik still has one life point left.

Back on the platform, Yami turned to Yugi.

"Destroying Ra should've destroyed Marik's evil half."

"Then what about his good side?" Yugi asked.

Yami looked over to the other side. It was still quiet over there. "We'll see soon."

After a minute, the smoke had swirled down to the platform and disappeared. Ishizu cried when she saw her brother holding his chest. His hair was back to normal and he was trembling. Odion smiled. _'I knew that you would overcome this, Master Marik.'_

Marik looked up to Yami as he tried to catch his breath; he felt like he wanted to collapse, but he knew that he had more work to do. He quickly ripped his cloak from his body and tossed it away; never had he been so happy to toss a piece of clothing away. His body started to feel lighter already.

"There's one more thing that the two of us have to complete. I still have one life point left. "

Beside him, Yami Marik's eye had appeared. After regaining his vision and his confusion leaving him, he panicked once he realized what was going on and Marik could feel it. Marik smirked evilly at him. "Well, well...look who's switched places!" he said sarcastically.

As much as he wanted to cuss Marik out, he knew that his good side was in control and he was his ticket to living safely.

"M-m-marik! D-do you know w-what is h-happening?!"

"Yes, I know exactly what's happening." he replied calmly.

"You can't have this life! I'll bury you with my own hands!"

Marik quickly glared at him. "Shut up! The only one who will be burying someone is me! I can't wait to get rid of you, especially after seeing what you did to everyone!"

Yami Marik continued to yell at him, but Marik ignored him and looked towards Yami.

"I'm sorry pharaoh. It was my duty to help you, but instead I turned my back on you." he said sadly. "I can't change the past, but I can start over."

He quickly flashed a warm smile at Ishizu and Odion. "It's not the best life one could ask for, but I have many things to be thankful for. I'm proud to be a tomb keeper, and I'm proud of my sister and my brother."

His siblings returned his kind smile, especially Odion. Hearing Marik calling him his brother made his heart swell with joy and honor. "Thank you, sir." he replied.

Marik turned to face Yami again. "My family has waited three thousand years for your return, and now I must fulfill my destiny by helping you fulfill yours."

Marik closed his eyes and slowly raised his hand above his duel disk. He thought back to his past and the crimes he had committed. _'It's almost over…'_ he thought. Then visions of a new future filled his mind. He wanted to live a normal life and be happy with his family and Mimiki by his side. He smiled softly as he thought about her. _'Mimi...I can't wait to see you soon.'_

His hand hovered above his deck. _'This will be my first step towards a brighter future.'_

Yami Marik started to panic again. "No, stop!" he pleaded. "You still need me! Don't do this! You'll regret it! I'll make you regret it!"

"Ha! That's amusing! You're in any position to bargain or threaten me!" he scoffed. "I regret nothing about this!"

Yami Marik stayed silent as Marik rested his hand over his deck, surrendering the duel. Yami Marik screamed as the final remnant of his soul shadows receded as the sunlight broke through. Yugi's spirit was restored and floated down to the ground, happy to see himself in one piece again.

Roland cleared his throat. "The winner of the Battle City tournament is Yugi Mutou!"

Yami thanked his magicians before they disappeared. The platform lowered itself and everyone ran up to Yami, yelling in excitement. Joey gave Yami a high five. "That was awesome, Yug! The way your monsters came out and stuff man! Hot damn!"

Yami felt a sense of pride swell in his chest. "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without everyone's help." he replied humbly.

Ishizu and Odion ran up to their brother. "I'm sorry...for everything you two…"

They smiled warmly at him. "All that matters is that you're safe and sound. You're back to normal now. There's nothing else I could ask for right now."

Odion nodded in agreement. Marik smiled at they all hugged. Now that he was corporeal again, he'd never take the sensation of touch for granted ever again. After a while, they broke their hug.

"Now it's time for you to pass on the pharaoh's memory to him, Marik."

"After this, does that mean we can start over and build a new life for ourselves?" he asked hopefully.

Ishizu nodded. "I think that it's about time that we joined the light with the rest of mankind." she replied with a wink. Marik smiled widely. For the first time in years, he finally felt free.

Irritated that Yami won, Kaiba finally stepped on the dueling platform and walked towards Yami. He looked over to Kakayu, who ended up locking eyes with him. She quickly looked away and he silently huffed before turning to Yami. "As the organizer of the Battle City Tournament, I guess he should congratulate the winner." he said. "You've won the title of Battle City Duel King. As the host of this tournament, I praise you for this high honor."

Although his first sentence was laced with sarcasm, Yami still managed to smile at his rival. "Thank you, Kaiba."

"Yeah, congrats!" Mokuba said. "Don't forget the ante rule—you can now take Marik's rarest card."

The Ishtars quickly walked over to the group. Marik took Ra out of his deck and handed it to Yami. "All of my evil side's victims will return very soon." he said happily.

Everyone cheered at the happy news. "Yea! Mai, Mims and Bakura are back!"

Yami smiled and nodded. "Thank you. We'll be happy to see them and I know that you and Mimiki will be very happy to see each other again."

Marik nodded in return. "That I am. But before I do that, I have something else to do."

Marik quickly removed his black top, revealing his nicely toned abs and pecks. Kakayu and Tea blushed widely and looked at each other. "Mimiki is one lucky girl! He's hot!" they whispered.

Marik continued on to show Yami the scars on his back while Ishizu explained their purpose. After all was said and done, Marik gave Yami the rod and ring and quickly put his shirt back on.

Kaiba cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention. "If you've tasted enough glory, the Battle City tournament is over! If you'd like a free ride home, you all had better board the aircraft right now. If anyone's left on the island, Kaiba Corp won't be responsible for their safety. In one hour, this island will explode!" he said.

Joey and Tristan freaked out. "Well shit, you ain't gotta tell us twice! Let's go!" Tristan said.

Kakayu watched as Kaiba gave her a longing glance before leaving. For the first time all day, she felt like talking to him. Before she knew it, he and Mokuba were gone.

She quickly hurried for the elevator and managed to squeeze herself in. As it descended, she glanced at Marik, who was anxious to get to the bottom. She smiled softly at him. She was just as excited to see Mimiki as he was.

___________________________________

The elevator quickly reached the bottom and everyone eagerly ran to the ship. Joey ran into Mai's room, expecting to she the blonde up and about. To his dismay, Mai was still lying motionless in bed. Serenity, who still sitting by her side, turned to Joey sadly. Everyone quickly came in after him.

"Serenity, what's wrong? Why is Mai still sleeping? Yug won the duel."

"She still hasn't woken up…" she replied.

Joey quickly ran over to Mai and hovered over her. "Mai, wake up! Yugi won the duel! You're supposed to be alright!"

After a few minutes, she didn't respond, which broke his heart and everyone felt sorry for him. They knew that he had feelings for her, but never truly admitted them to her. He threw himself over her, hugging her. Tears started to form in his eyes. "Please wake up! I'd do anything to have you back...I want to be with you, Mai!"

Shocked at his words and actions, Mai peeked to see Joey hugging her. "Do you really mean that, Joey?" she asked softly.

Joey jumped up and looked down at her. She slowly sat up in her bed and smiled sweetly at him. "Mai...you're finally awake!" he exclaimed.

"Well duh, Joey! No freaky magic is enough to keep me down!" she said with a wink. "Stop crying."

Serenity quickly chuckled. "She woke up about ten minutes ago. She asked me to play along with this. Sorry, Joey. I couldn't resist."

Everyone laughed as the two blondes playfully argued with one another.

"If she's awake, then Mimiki should be awake now, right?" Tea asked.

Suddenly, Kakayu quickly ran into the room with panic in her eyes. "Guys! It's Mimiki!"

Everyone walked inside Mimiki's room to find Marik hovering over Mimiki. She had yet to wake up.

"Mimiki! Mimiki!" he called out. "Wake up! Open your eyes! Please!" he pleaded.

She didn't respond to his voice. Out of panic, Marik tried to shake her awake. Mimiki still didn't respond. Marik's heart dropped when he bent over to hear if she was breathing. Those awful memories in the desert years ago flooded his mind.

"MIMIKI!"


	13. One Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

After Yami's army of monsters threw Ra into the gigantic magic circle, Marik felt his soul transition through a dimensional plane and back into his body. Switching places had taken a toll on his body; he felt like his soul was stitched back into his body with a very large and sharp needle. He panted as he tried to keep his balance, but the transition made him want to collapse, but he knew that he couldn't allow himself to fall. Readjusting to being corporeal was more difficult than he thought, but he knew that he had work to do. Slowly, the aches and pain started to disappear. He was elated; he could finally feel himself returning to normal. He ripped his dark side's beloved cape from his body and heavily tossed it aside. It was like a weight had been lifted from him. He managed a small smile before giving a serious look to his opponent and newly acquired ally.

"There's one more thing that the two of us have to complete. I still have one life point left."

Beside him, Yami Marik's eye had appeared. The last thing he remembered was being thrown into the Dark Magician duos magic circle and losing control of everything. His soul was thrown about in a dark vortex. He lost the feeling of being corporeal and returned to that familiar feeling of being in the shadows. Everything quickly slowed down and he came to a halt. After regaining his vision and his confusion leaving him, he panicked once he realized what was going on; he had switched places with his good half and Marik could feel his fear. Marik smirked evilly at him; for once in what seemed like an eternity to him, he had the upper hand. "Look who's switched places!" he said sarcastically.

As much as he wanted to cuss Marik out, he knew he no longer had control over his situation. The only thing that he could do was to watch his words or they would get him killed. He had to convince Marik to not kill him.

"M-m-marik! D-do you know w-what is h-happening?!"

"Yes, I know exactly what's happening." he replied calmly.

He began to panic. Then it turned to rage. _'How could this happen?! I was in control! I had the power!'_ he thought. He didn't want his short lived life to end, especially by Marik's hand.

"You can't have this life! I'll bury you with my own hands!"

Marik quickly glared at him. "Shut up! The only one who will be burying someone is me! I can't wait to get rid of you, especially after seeing what you did to everyone!"

Yami Marik continued to yell at him, but Marik ignored him and looked towards Yami again. Marik apologized to everyone for all of his transgressions. He knew that he didn't have the best life, but he focused on the positive things, like his siblings. They fought tooth and nail for his well being and he couldn't feel more blessed than he was at that moment. He quickly flashed a warm smile at Ishizu and Odion, who were relieved to see the old Marik was here to stay. He also apologized for rejecting his familial duty and turning his back on Yami and decided to start over for the better.

Marik turned to face Yami again. "My family has waited three thousand years for your return, and now I must fulfill my destiny by helping you fulfill yours."

Marik closed his eyes and slowly raised his hand above his duel disk. He thought back to his past and the crimes he had committed. _'It's almost over…'_ he thought. Then visions of a new future filled his mind. He wanted to live a normal life and be happy with his family and Mimiki by his side. He smiled softly as he thought about her. _'Mimi...I can't wait to see you soon. We can finally start over and be happy.'_

__

His hand hovered above his deck. It was finally time for him to step into his bright and shiny future.

__

Yami Marik started to panic again. "No, stop!" he pleaded. "You still need me! Don't do this! You'll regret it! I'll make you regret it!"

__

Marik didn't even bother turning to his self-created monster. "Ha! That's amusing! You're in no position to bargain or threaten me!" he scoffed. "I regret nothing about this! I'm moving on without you!"

__

Rage filled his dark half once more. _'You will pay for this!'_ he thought. _'I will make sure of it! You will NOT have a bright future when I'm through with you! If I can't be happy, you won't be either!'_

__

Yami Marik stayed silent as Marik rested his hand over his deck, surrendering the duel. Yami Marik screamed as the final remnant of his soul disappeared and the last of his dark magic gone with him. The shadows receded as the sunlight broke through. Yugi's spirit was restored and floated down to the ground, relieved to see himself in one piece again. He even did a happy dance.

__

Roland cleared his throat. "The winner of the Battle City tournament is Yugi Mutou!"

__

The platform lowered itself and everyone ran up to Yami, yelling and cheering in excitement. The storm had passed and everyone was going to be alright.

__

Ishizu and Odion ran up to their brother, who was happy to see the sun again as the bright and welcoming rays kissed his tan skin and the breeze embraced his body. He gave them a look of regret and apologized again for everything he had done. They threw everything in the past and hugged one another. The two older Ishtars were just happy that their small family was whole again.

__

Ishizu then instructed Marik to complete his familial duty. He handed Ra over to Yami, then he revealed the carvings on his back to Yami and the gang, receiving ogling eyes from Kakayu and Tea. He didn't have to turn around to see the two girls drilling holes into his muscular back. Marik laughed mentally, thinking how Mimiki would react at the fact that her cousin and friend had a chance to see him shirtless before she did. Afterwards, he handed the rod and Ra over to Yami.

__

"All of my evil side's victims will return very soon." he said happily.

__

Everyone cheered at the happy news. "Yea! Mai, Mims and Bakura are back!"

__

Yami smiled and nodded. "Thank you. We'll be happy to see them and I know that you and Mimiki will be very happy to see each other again."

__

Marik nodded in return with a big smile. "That I am. I can't wait to see her!"

__

After all was said and done, Marik gave Yami the millennium ring and quickly put his shirt back on.

__

Kaiba quickly declared the tournament over and announced that he was going to blow up the island. Everyone quickly heeded his words and ran for the elevator. As it descended, Marik was anxious to get to the bottom. He could already see her bright blue eyes and wide smile.

__

_'Here I come, Mimi!'_

______________________________________

The elevator quickly reached the bottom and everyone eagerly ran to the ship. Joey ran into Mai's room while Kakayu and Marik ran for Mimiki's room.

__

Mimiki was still stuffed away in her bed, sleeping her day away.

__

"Mimi!" the two called in unison.

__

They walked up to her bed and hovered over her. "Mimi, you lazy bum! Wake up! I know that you like sleeping, but geez girl!" Kakayu said before she let out a nervous laugh. They grew worried that she still wasn't awake after another five minutes had passed, but Kakayu tried to keep hope alive. The room was quiet until Marik decided to speak up.

__

"Mimiki...wake up, please…" he said.

__

After a minute, his heart started to sink. "Mimiki...come on now...wake up!" he commanded, but with a cracked voice. "If this is a joke, it isn't funny!"

__

With no signs of a change, Marik's heart felt like it stopped for a moment. "Mimiki…?"

__

The same damning feeling started to creep into Kakayu's heart. She quickly ran out of the room to get the others and the doctor.

__

Back in Mai's room, everyone was celebrating Mai's recovery. Mai had woken up and was in good spirits, so good that she prolonged her dark magic induced sleep when Joey arrived. Serenity played along and enjoyed seeing how much her brother truly cared about Mai, even though he wasn't quick to admit his feelings. Everyone laughed as the two blondes playfully argued with one another. Now that everything was over, it truly felt like old times.

__

"So, now that Mai's awake, then Mimiki should be awake too, right?" Tea asked.

__

Her question was quickly answered when Kakayu quickly ran into the room with panic in her eyes. "Guys! It's Mimiki!"

__

Everyone quickly left the room and walked inside Mimiki's room to find Marik hovering over Mimiki. After another five minutes, she had yet to wake up.

__

"Mimiki! Mimiki!" he called out. "Wake up! Open your eyes! Please!" he pleaded.

__

She still didn't respond to his voice. Out of panic, Marik tried to shake her awake. Mimiki still didn't respond, no movement whatsoever. Marik's heart dropped when he bent over to hear if she was breathing. Those awful memories in the desert years ago flooded his mind.

__

"MIMIKI!" he screamed. She was barely breathing.

__

It was just like deja vu. A young Marik was hovering over his best friend's body, who he found buried in the desert sand.

__

It was the day before her birthday. The Ishtars decided to give her a birthday party and Marik had planned on telling her how he felt about her. Everything was going well until Marik had ruined the sweet moment between them. With a mix of uncertainty and shyness, Marik had started a fight with her while he gave her his gift.

___________________________________

_"How do I look?"_

__

_Mimiki had just walked into the room adorned with a dress and jewelry that Ishizu had given her. It was a white dress that she could no longer fit, so Ishizu had made some alterations and added an intricate floral design in gold around the huge sleeves and the bottom hem. She had also given her some gold earrings and a simple headdress with a polished rose quartz jewel in the middle. She was smiling ear to ear as she twirled around, watching the dress swish from side to side._

__

_arik gasped at her radiance and blushed. Everything had fit her perfectly and she looked like a princess. Ishizu and Odion had complimented her appearance while Marik kept staring at her._

__

_"Well Marik? How do you think I look?" she asked blushing. Ishizu and Odion took this opportunity to leave the room unnoticed, hoping that he would confess his feelings to her._

__

_He felt like his voice was stolen until he finally found the words he wanted to say. "You're beautiful."_

__

_The two teenagers blushed and Mimiki looked down a bit, scuffing her foot on the floor with slight embarrassment from his compliment. Silence grew between them as she locked eyes with him again. Fidgeting and nervous about what was to come, Marik quickly handed her another small box._

__

_"This is for you Mimi. I hope that you like it."_

__

_She smiled as she took the box and opened it. Inside laid lapis lazuli, peridot and carnelian triple beaded bracelets, three in all. They all had three fire blown colored clay flowers on them; one being white water lilies, pink lotus flowers, and lastly cornflowers. Each flower had a corresponding jewel in them; the water lilies had lapis lazuli, the lotus had peridots and the cornflowers had carnelians._

__

_Mimiki's eyes widened as she looked at them. "Marik! These are beautiful!" she exclaimed. "But I can't accept these! This is too much! Why did you spend so much money on me? You didn't have to do that."_

__

_Marik looked up towards the ceiling, still blushing. "Well, I made them myself. The jewels weren't hard to come by. I had some help from Ishizu and Odion. My mother had taught them various skills before she died. Jewel making and mining are one of the ways our family has earned income over the years, so it's okay. Besides, you're my best friend. You deserve the best!" he said as he slipped the lotus bracelet onto her tiny wrist. His heart jumped as he held her hand. He stared at the bracelet as it wrapped around her slender wrist, making her seem more beautiful in his eyes. "See? Fits perfectly!" he said with a sheepish grin._

__

_Mimiki quickly hugged him tightly, catching him off guard. "Thank you Marik! I don't deserve such a good friend like you! You're too kind...sometimes." she added jokingly as she let a out a small laugh._

__

_"But really, I appreciate this. This is the best birthday ever. Thank you." He blushed again as she released him from her hug, but he quickly grabbed her arms and they locked eyes again. Their faces were less than a foot away from each other and Marik could feel himself getting hotter. The tension between them grew and Marik couldn't handle it anymore. He had to distract them both; it was the only way to defuse the situation, in his boyish opinion._

__

_"Well I'm only kind sometimes? I guess you're beautiful...sometimes." he replied, grinning mischievously. Mimiki puffed up her cheeks like always, which he thought was cute._

__

_"Hey! I was joking! You're so ruining our nice moment, Marik! Don't be a jerk on my birthday!" She spat before sticking her tongue out._

__

_He sighed mentally. 'It's working already! Gotta keep it going!'_

__

_"It's not your birthday yet, Mimi. It's tomorrow, remember?" he said, still sporting his grin._

__

_"Don't treat me like that! This party was not my idea! You asked me to come over, remember?"_

__

_Marik smirked at her attitude. This was the perfect diversion from his feelings. Now that the mood was gone, he didn't have to tell her how he felt. 'Mission accomplished!'_

__

_"Yeah, yeah." He replied. Mimiki groaned. "You can be such a jerk sometimes!"_

__

_He replied with the same "yeah, yeah" response to make her more angry._

__

_"Marik, why are you trying to ruin my party?! It was going nice until you had to open your mouth!" As she kept complaining, Marik grew irritated and turned to her. Although he started her on her ranting rampage, he wished that she'd shut up._

__

_"Mimiki!" he yelled._

__

_"WHAT?!" she yelled back._

__

_"Would you please shut up?!" he asked as he grabbed her by her waist with one arm and cupped her cheek with his other hand and closed the gap between them; their lips finally connecting as Mimiki's eyes grew as big as dinner plates. It felt like an eternity before Marik broke the kiss. His lips tingled greatly as he blushed and looked away to try to recover from the bold move he just made. It felt way better than he imagined. Mimiki on the other hand, was as red as a tomato and still in shock, her mouth slightly agape, reeling from what just happened._

__

_He had stolen Mimiki's first kiss._

__

_Marik snickered then made the horrible decision to open his mouth again. "I knew that you were cute when you were quiet, but I didn't know that you'd be this beautiful when you're in shock and awe! You don't have to thank me, just forget about the whole thing."_

__

_Mimiki quickly snapped out of her shock, hurt at what he had said._

__

_"What do you mean "forget about the whole thing?" That was my first kiss! You stole it from me and you want me to forget about it?!"_

__

_He turned and looked at her and immediately felt awful about was he said when he saw the pain and sadness in her eyes. He had never seen her like this before. Mimiki clenched her fists tightly, fighting back her tears. Anger exploded as she landed a hard slap on his cheek, tears staining her face._

__

_"I can't stand you sometimes, you-you stupid...boy! I'm leaving!" She quickly ran out of the room and left the tomb._

___________________________

Minutes later, she was trapped in a sand storm. She tried her best to find shelter and hid under a half dome rock enclosure that wasn't too far away from their home.

__

It was difficult to breathe and to add insult to injury, she'd suffered a horrible snake bite. Struggling with survival and fear, Mimiki started succumbing to death's touch. After getting quite the tongue lashing from Ishizu, Marik left home to search for her. When he found her buried in hot, dry sand and not breathing, his world had crashed. His best friend was dead and it was his fault. He remembered it like it was yesterday; that damning memory of him crying her name, begging her to come back, him apologizing and wishing that it was all a horrible nightmare.

__

_"Mimiki...I'm so sorry!"_ he said between sobs. _"I didn't mean for this...to happen!"_ he could hear his younger self say.

__

He now found himself back in that same nightmare. Something was terribly wrong with the love of his life; and he blamed himself once more. He could barely breathe himself, it was like time had stopped. He embraced her in his strong arms, her head resting in his hand as he cried over her. Everyone stood away from them in confusion while Joey tried to console Kakayu through her tears.

__

"What's going on? What's wrong with Mimiki?" Tea asked.

__

Ishizu shuffled through the crowd. She placed her hand over the millennium necklace once more, praying that it would lend her its powers again.

__

"Marik, lay Mimiki back down on her bed, please."

__

Marik gripped her tighter than before. He felt like if he let her go, he'd lose her for good this time. Everyone could sense his fear and desperation. Ishizu began to rub his back, hoping to calm him down. "Marik. I know that you're afraid, but if you don't let her go, I won't be able to assist you."

__

Her warm hand gave him a sense of peace, but he still worried about Mimiki and held on to her. After what seemed like forever, Marik reluctantly listened to his sister and gently placed Mimiki back onto her bed. His gloomy gaze never left her while she laid there, looking like a lifeless doll. He desperately wanted her to open her eyes.

__

Ishizu gave his shoulder a soft squeeze before trying to focus her mind in order to call on the powers of the necklace. She felt the familiar energy run through her body and it traveled from her core to the tips of her fingers. She tapped the area above Mimiki once more. The same shadow barrier swirled around her momentarily before it disappeared, earning a gasp from everyone.

__

"She's still infected by shadow magic. I'm not sure what dark magic Marik's evil side used on her, but I'm sure that in due time, it will leave her be now that he has been defeated. I believe that this usage of dark magic in her case was stronger than the magic that was used against his other victims. Although she played a shadow game with him, it was very different from the others."

__

"Well, how long is 'in due time'?" Kakayu asked, sniffling

__

"That, I' am not sure of, but in the meantime we should call for the doctor to continue to monitor her condition until she wakes up."

__

Kakayu wiped some tears from her eyes. "I'm going to call the hospital and then we can leave."

__

Before Kakayu could lift a finger to do so, Roland had entered the room. "Ah Miss Hikami, I've found you. We're ready to depart soon whenever you and Mr. Kaiba are ready."

__

"I have to make a phone call to the hospital first. Then we can leave whenever he's ready."

__

"Actually, I was hoping if you knew about Mr. Kaiba's whereabouts. Both of them, actually. We can't find them anywhere. I was hoping that you could assist me."

__

Kakayu glared at him in confusion. "What do you mean you can't _find_ them?! They were just at the Duel Tower with us twenty minutes ago!"

__

"We've tried to contact them, but we're not receiving a response."

__

Kakayu sighed in frustration. _'Just when I thought I was being too hard on him, he goes off and pulls a disappearing act! And during such a crucial time, at that! I can't believe that boy!'_

__

She whipped out her cell phone and glanced at the clock. "We have thirty-five minutes until the island explodes. I'm going to go look for him before it's too late."

__

"We'll help you." Yami offered. Everyone nodded.

__

"Thanks everyone." she replied before turning to the Ishtars. "Marik, Ishizu, Odion. Please look after Mimiki while we're gone. If something changes, have Roland or Ben give me a call."

__

They all nodded in response. "Good luck with your search, Miss Hikami." Odion said.

__

"Thank you, Odion." she replied with a smile before focusing her attention back on everyone. "Give yourselves twenty minutes and not a minute longer. Then come back!"

__

Everyone nodded in compliance and ran out of the room.

_______________________________

Simultaneously, Kaiba and Mokuba were stashed away in a hidden control room in the Duel Tower. Kaiba stood behind Mokuba with his arms crossed, still slightly irritated over the results of his tournament. He lost his chance at being Duel King once again and winning his own tournament. In the dueling aspect, he even lost a duel to Joey of all people! The one person who he thought was beneath him, actually beat him in a duel, and by dumb luck at that! That loss was enough to make him boil over, but when he calmed down and thought about it, he knew that he deserved it. He ended up being a total jackass and hurt Mokuba and...her.

__

_'Kakayu…'_

__

He also lost a really good friend in her. He clenched his arm tighter at the thought of Kakayu's betrayed face. He wanted to make things right with her, but he was certain that she'd send a tsunami of cut throat comments his way if he tried. He sighed while he rubbed his temple.

__

"Activate the detonators, Mokuba." he commanded dryly.

__

"Alrighty, bro!" he replied.

__

Mokuba quickly started to enter the needed commands at the consoles. "Are you sure that an hour is enough time?"

__

Kaiba nodded. "That's more than enough time. The ship should be leaving very soon." he replied coolly.

__

Mokuba looked over his shoulder and couldn't help but notice the shielded tone and lost look in his brother's eyes. As much as he tried to hide it, Mokuba could see right through him. "Are you sure that you're okay with this? I'm on your side regardless, but I just want to know if you're okay."

__

Kaiba managed to crack a smile. For once, it was a warm one, but he didn't look Mokuba eye to eye. "I'll be okay, Mokuba. This is just a necessary road that I need to walk down in order to move on."

__

Mokuba remained silent for a moment to ponder his brother's words. He knew that there was more to his demeanor than what he let off. Mokuba returned his attention to the console and continued to enter the last code needed for detonation. A red warning sign flashed on the screen and Mokuba turned to his brother once more. His heart was heavy.

__

"Are you really going to let this go and not say goodbye to Kai? You're not going to make up with her?" he asked sadly.

__

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat at hearing her name. His emotions were all thrown into another crashing roller coaster. He pushed it aside and placed his thumb on a fingerprint scanner, signaling that he was squashing the subject.

__

_'I guess that's a no…'_

__

Mokuba sighed and placed his thumb on an adjacent scanner. Once their fingerprints were accepted, they both inserted their duel monster card shaped lockets into a key card reader.

__

"The detonation countdown has started." the computer said. The screen's display had changed to a countdown timer that displayed 59:57:11.

__

Mokuba grabbed his locket, stuffed it in his pocket and made his way to the elevator while Kaiba stared absentmindedly at the timer.

__

"Aren't you coming, Seto?" he called out.

__

_"Are you really going to let this go and not say goodbye to Kai? You're not going to make up with her?"_

__

Hearing Mokuba's voice snapped him out of his daze. Kaiba let out another sigh, this one heavier than the one before. "Go ahead, Mokuba. I'll be there soon."

__

Mokuba's mouth opened in surprise. "Are you sure? I can come with you."

__

"No, you stay. I need to do one more thing before we leave. It shouldn't take too long. Just be ready to leave as soon as I return."

__

Mokuba obeyed and descended to another floor in the tower. Kaiba waited anxiously for it to return. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.

__________________________

Everyone scrambled outside the Duel Tower. They were all irritated that Kaiba actually programed the island to explode and then suddenly go MIA.

__

"What the hell, Kaiba?!" Joey screamed. "Stop being childish and come out now!"

__

Tea groaned. "Joey! Stop it with the taunts! You going off at the mouth probably makes him want to stay hidden! I'm not trying to die today, so zip it!" she scolded.

__

"Fine, fine! My bad! Sorry _mom_!" he teased. Tea glared at him and hit him in his head. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! For real this time!"

__

Tea rolled her eyes and growled before turning back to find Kaiba. "Boys!" she muttered.

__

Kakayu wandered off a little farther away from the others. The area was quiet and devoid of life. All she had to keep her company was sound of rolling waves. She growled. It had been a little over ten minutes since they all started searching for the missing Kaiba brothers and there was not even one clue that gave them wind of their whereabouts. She knew that they didn't have much time left and she was starting to panic. Could be really be that depressed? Enough to be borderline suicidal and drag everyone with him? Kakayu wanted to wring his neck.

__

_'I could slug his ass right now! He makes me so angry I could chew bricks!'_

__

She angrily stomped around to continue her search. A minute later, she saw the familiar white trench coat moving behind a tall mound of scrap metal. She sighed in relief, but she still wanted to kill him.

__

"There you are!" she yelled. She quickly caught up to the tall CEO who turned around to face her. He was surprised that he actually ran into her. He was happy to see her, even though she was drilling holes into him at the moment.

__

"Where the hell were you?! We've been looking all over for you! You had me worried! Mimiki didn't wake up so we have to rush her to the hospital! Let's find Mokuba and let's go!"

__

Kaiba was surprised that Mimiki didn't wake up and even more surprised that she was worried about him. "You were worried about me?"

__

Kakayu rolled her eyes. "Of course I was! Why wouldn't I be?! You rigged the island to blow sky high and we have less than thirty minutes to leave now! I had to find you! Also, I mean if the authorities find you dead, they're going to investigate everyone else here and I'm quite sure nobody wants that problem. Some of us have had enough shit to deal with!"

__

Kaiba, ignoring that last sharply pointed comment, was touched by her concern for him, especially after all that had happened. "I thought that you hated me." he replied.

__

Kakayu looked off to the side for a moment with balled fists filled with a whirlwind of emotions. "I...don't hate you…" she replied. "I—"

__

Kaiba shook his head and cut her off. "There's no need to explain. After everything I've done, I don't deserve any kind words from anyone, especially from you. I'm sorry for everything."

__

Kakayu turned to him in confusion. "...what?"

__

Kaiba smirked. "I know that's not a word that you'd normally hear me say, but I really mean it. I was a total ass to you."

__

"To say the least," she huffed, crossing her arms.

__

Kaiba couldn't help but smirk. Her feisty attitude was one of the many things that he adored. She was full of a strong, admirable fire. "I know...and I deserve everything that happened to me, even if it meant losing my own tournament."

__

Kakayu rolled her eyes again, this time even more annoyed than before. "This stupid tournament...is that all you care about?!"

__

"No." he replied. He quickly walked up to her and grabbed her hand in a loving manner. His touch sent a shock up her arm, which made her heart feel like she had butterflies. She tried her best to keep her feelings in check. She was still mad at him, after all.

__

"I care about you too...a lot." he admitted. "I know that there's probably nothing I can say right now to make things right between us, but please believe me and know that I do care about you. You didn't deserve any of the things I've slighted you with. I was wrong. You mean a lot to me."

__

Kakayu thought back to all that had happened since she was injured. Those emotions rushed at her, making her tear up a little and it didn't go unnoticed by Kaiba. She could barely look him in the eye.

__

He pulled her hand gently, throwing her off guard and embraced her in a soft hug. "I'm sorry." he said again. "I hope that someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

__

She blushed at his sudden action. With everything that had happened between them over the last couple of days, she never thought that she'd be in his arms, resting against his toned chest. Her emotions hit her hard and the levy had broken; she wanted to cry. Then Kaiba quickly cupped her face in his big hand, moving some strands away from her face with his thumb. She suddenly found her lips pressed against his as he kissed her softly. Kakayu's eyes went as big as dinner plates. She felt like time had stopped. Kaiba released her from his embrace and smiled at her dumbfounded gaze.

__

"You don't have much time. You need to get back to the ship. Don't worry about Mokuba and I. We'll be fine, I promise."

__

Before she could register everything that had just happened, Kaiba was gone. She quickly snapped out of it.

__

"Wait…!"

__

She lightly grazed her lips with her slender fingers, tingling pleasantly from the warmth of his. Kakayu tried to wrap her head around Kaiba's words and actions, but everything had her mind trapped in a whirlwind of lost time and heavy emotions.

__

"There you are, Kakayu." a familiar voice said.

__

Kakayu gasped and quickly turned to meet Yami. "Everyone was worried about you. Our time is almost up and everyone has returned to the ship. Did you have any success in finding Kaiba?" he inquired. "We were unable to locate him."

__

Kakayu quickly blinked and shook her head. "No…" she lied. She felt bad for lying, but it wasn't a complete lie. _'The Kaiba that I found isn't the Kaiba that everyone knows and loves...I'm still trying to wrap my head around this!'_

__

Yami wasn't convinced by her words as he could see a light blush on her tan skin, but he decided that he would let it go for now. "Well our time is up. We should head back to the ship now."

__

Kakayu nodded in agreement. "Right."

__________________________________

Yami and Kakayu quickly made their way back to the ship. Kakayu made her way to the control room to speak with Roland about Kaiba while Yami left to join the others.

__

"Ah, Miss Hikami, perfect timing! I was just about to contact you." Roland said moments after she entered the room.

__

"Is something wrong, Roland?"

__

"No, not at all. Everything is fine, actually. Mr. Kaiba had came by while you all were out. He just left moments before you arrived, actually. He had informed us that he and his brother will be leaving the island shortly by their own means. He informed me that we can depart now."

__

Kaiba's words quickly came back to her. _"Don't worry about Mokuba and I. We'll be fine, I promise."_

__

"Oh? Is that so?" she asked.

__

"Yes. Also, he has informed me that he's called for an ambulance to escort Ms. Minami to the hospital. We will return to Domino City quickly by using the turbo engines, per Mr. Kaiba's orders. He assured that they will be at our landing site when we arrive."

__

Kakayu blinked in confusion. "He called for an ambulance...?"

__

Roland nodded. "Yes, he called for one while he was here. I'm going to execute a headcount of all of the duelists and their guests and we'll be on our way as soon as possible. We don't have much time." he replied.

__

"No, I'll do it. Prepare for take-off." she commanded.

__

Roland nodded and Ben issued commands into the computer, starting with the deflation of the blimp and the extension of its hidden wings. Kakayu did a quick run through, checking to see if everyone was accounted for. She even found Bakura, who was happily munching away on some fruit in his room. After giving them the all clear, Ben closed the door and the blimp turned airplane started to ascend into the air. Mostly everyone had gathered in the control room, taking one last look at Alcatraz. Although Kaiba told her not to worry about him and Mokuba and even Roland confirmed the same, Kakayu couldn't help but worry about them. She stood with crossed arms and tapped her finger nervously, which didn't go unnoticed by Yami. When they ascended to almost six thousand feet into the air, the island had exploded several times. While everyone stared in amazement and worry, Kakayu was full of worry. She quickly covered her mouth to silence her whimpers.

__

"So no one never found moneybags out there?" Joey asked. "Where the hell did he go?"

__

_'That's what I want to know! He claimed that they would be okay, but he just disappeared! Where did they go?!'_

__

The Duel Tower began to crumble as more smoke covered the island. Suddenly from the smoke, a Blue Eyes White Dragon emerged and rushed rather quickly towards them. Everyone screamed, Joey being the loudest. "WHAT THE HELL IS _THAT_?!" he yelled.

__

Everyone quickly calmed down once they heard Kaiba's laugh roar across the intercom. He and Mokuba were alright, safely tucked away in the dragon shaped airplane with Kaiba at the controls.

__

"Ah, how I love the sound of panic in the afternoon." Kaiba said.

__

Everyone sighed in relief, with a bit of annoyance. Joey balled his fists hard and slammed it against the window repeatedly. While him and Kaiba had another fighting match, Kakayu was relieved to see them both. Kakayu could feel a pair of eyes on her. She looked over to Kaiba and they locked eyes. He gave her one last smile before saluting goodbye. It was the same smile he had given her earlier, which reminded her of their first kiss. A small smile crawled on her face and she subtly waved goodbye.

__

Kaiba quickly pushed the throttle forward and the two Kaiba brothers and their plane were soon out of sight. The plane started making its way back to Domino City after doubling its altitude.

__

Battle City was finally over and it was time to move on.

_____________________________

After parting ways with the Kaiba brothers, Kakayu and the others made their way back to Mimiki's room. Marik was still by her side, watching her closely. He hadn't noticed the gang enter the room, but Ishizu had jumped up to greet them while Odion was rubbing his head. Unfortunately, the dull pain from the lightning strike still remained.

__

"How's Mimiki doing?" Kakayu asked.

__

Ishizu glanced over to the young couple. "No change yet, I'm afraid. Marik hasn't left her side for a moment. He's really worried about her." she replied.

__

They all looked over to him. He seemed to be lost in thought, but he still kept his eyes on her.

__

_'Who would've thought that the Marik that hunted down and tortured everyone had such a vulnerable side of himself?'_ Kakayu thought.

__

Kakayu sighed and left the group to talk to Marik. When she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, he jumped and looked up at her.

__

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

__

"No, no, you're fine. I was so focused on Mimi that I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I should pay more attention."

__

She gave him a weak smile. "I understand. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be back in the city in an hour and a half. Kaiba called for an ambulance to take Mimiki to the hospital, so don't worry, okay?"

__

Marik sighed. "Okay, great! Thank you for letting me know that. I'll make sure she's comfortable and taken care of until then."

__

Kakayu nodded. "Yes, please do that and don't forget to gather your things before we disembark."

__

Marik nodded. "Yes, of course." he replied quickly before returning his attention back to Mimiki. All he could imagine was seeing her big blue eyes open again, her giving him a loving smile and hearing her voice again. It was all that he wanted. Minutes later, the doctor had returned to check her vials once more. Marik watched him carefully as he tended to her. After the doctor finished, Marik made sure that she was comfortable. He reached under the covers and gently embraced her hand. He calmed down momentarily feeling the warmth of her hand and gently drew circles with his thumb around the top of her hand for a moment. He then pulled her hand from under the covers and planted a tender kiss. Right now, he was in his own world, unaware of the shocked looks he was receiving from everyone, minus his family. Everyone knew that Mimiki loved Marik, especially after she almost had ripped Joey and Duke apart the night before, but just like Kakayu, they never thought that they'd see such a vulnerable side to the man that made their lives hell over the last week.

__

Yugi, who stood in spirit form next to Yami, gave the couple an empathetic look.

__

"He really does love her, doesn't he?" the young teen commented.

__

Yami nodded. "Yes, yes he does. All we can do now is to pray that she recovers soon. I'm curious to know what exactly is preventing her from awakening."

__

Yugi nodded in reply. "Yes, I'm curious too. For now I'll just pray for them and their happiness."

__

Everyone decided to leave them be and exited the room to prepare to arrive back home.

_______________________________

After having a quick lunch, everyone had returned to their respective rooms. Kakayu pulled out her key card and swiped it as usual to enter her room. She let out a yawn before climbing back into her bed, where she decided that a quick nap was in order. She had no trouble falling asleep, for most of the day's events and trials were now off of her shoulders. Only two things, or people, rather had crossed her mind before she fell asleep; Mimiki and Kaiba.

__

Thirty-five minutes later, Kakayu was awakened by the familiar ring of the intercom.

__

"Attention all duelists and guests! We'll be landing in fifteen minutes. Please prepare for landing." Roland announced.

__

She jumped up and yawned once more before looking at the clock on her smartphone. _'That was a quick thirty-five minutes...I could've had another twenty-five minutes or so…'_ she thought.

__

She quickly cast her feelings aside. _'But that'll have to wait. Mimiki's well being is my first priority.'_

__

She quickly jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. _'If she happens to stay in the hospital overnight or longer, how the hell am I going to explain this to uncle Masahiro and auntie Sumie? I can't tell them that she was cursed by dark ancient Egyptian magic which we don't have a cure for! They'll even be more skeptical about this than Kaiba!'_

__

She groaned after thinking about her dilemma. She exited the bathroom and started to scan the room for personal belongings. Her eyes landed on the table, more so what was on top of the table. She quickly walked up to the table, which had a small grey satin box with a silky red ribbon wrapped around it. Beneath the box was a white envelope. Curious of what it was, she quickly reached for the envelope that had her name written on it in rushed yet elegant handwriting, which she instantly recognized. Her heartbeat quickened as she looked back at the box and her mind wandered back to the kiss they shared only hours ago. She quickly found herself caught in another whirlwind of emotions as she tentatively opened the envelope.

__

_Kakayu,_

__

_I meant what I said. Like I said, I hope that you'll find it in your heart to forgive me one day. Please accept this gift. I'll be contacting you soon._

__

_S.K._

__

Kakayu quickly grabbed the small box and unwrapped it. Her eyes widened when it revealed a 8 carat heart cut tanzanite ring surrounded by a small diamonds set in a white gold band. She was in awe for a moment. She had always admired the rare, beautiful gemstone. Her eyes lit up as she slipped the ring onto her right ring finger, the rich blues and purples it reflected dancing in the light of the dusky sun through her window; a kaleidoscope of cool colors gracing the back of her hand. It fit perfectly on her long, slender finger. Overwhelmed with emotions, tears fell down her cheeks as she held her hand close to her heart.

__

_"Rare and beautiful. Much like someone I know."_

__

"Seto…"

______________________________

The blimp had stopped and started its descent into the unfinished Kaiba Corp stadium. After finishing its ten minute descent, the doors quickly opened and the EMS team quickly rushed in with a stretcher to escort Mimiki to the hospital. After loading her onto the stretcher, Marik grabbed her things and climbed in the back on the ambulance with her and Kakayu. Before they left, everyone had said their goodbyes.

__

"Thank you again pharaoh for saving my brother." Ishizu said before bowing. Overhearing his sister, Marik quickly climbed out of the ambulance and bowed as well. "Yes, I can't thank you enough. If you didn't help me, my evil side surely would've won."

__

Yami sported his usual strong and confident smile. "No, thank you. Thanks to everyone, the world is safe and I'm one step closer to recovering my lost memories."

__

Then he took a look at Mimiki from afar. "But enough about me. Mimiki needs your help right now. Go and tend to her."

__

Marik looked over to her and nodded. "I will take care of her. I promise."

__

Marik quickly hopped back into the ambulance while the others gathered around. "I called for some cars to take you all home. I'll keep you updated on Mimi's condition. Thanks for all of your help." Kakayu said.

__

Everyone nodded. "You guys take real good care of Mims!" Joey said.

__

"Of course! See you all soon!" Kakayu replied.

__

The EMS driver quickly closed the doors and hopped back into his seat, making a mad dash to the hospital.

__

Mimiki was finally admitted into Domino Sinai Hospital, the same hospital that Bakura was admitted to. With Kaiba's influence, she was given the bests room in the hospital, surprising Marik and Kakayu. She had her own private room and had a private medical team attending to her. After her examination, the doctors inserted another IV into her arm and propped her up in her bed. Kakayu and Marik were finally allowed to visit her. The doctor, a man who appeared to be in his mid forties, was jotting down some last minute notes on his tablet.

__

"So, how is she?" Marik asked.

__

"Are you a relative?" the doctor asked.

__

"No, I'm not."

__

"Well I'm not at liberty to discuss that at the moment if you're not related to her."

__

Kakayu quickly stood ahead of him. "Don't worry, you can inform him of your diagnosis. He's her boyfriend, so he might as well be apart of our family."

__

Marik quickly blushed at being called Mimiki's boyfriend. _'Boyfriend? That actually sounds nice…'_ he thought.

__

"Her parents will not be able to arrive any time soon, so you can inform us instead. I'm Kakayu Hikami, her cousin."

__

The doctor blinked. "Oh, Ms. Hikami! Mr. Kaiba told me all about you! Please forgive me for not recognizing you earlier."

__

Kakayu inwardly smiled. _'So this is how it feels to have influence and power...no wonder Seto likes to wield and show it off and be an ass about it!'_ she thought. _'I have to remind myself to thank him for all of her elite accommodations later…this is not a cheap room!'_

__

"It's not a problem, doctor. I understand. So how's Mimiki?"

__

The doctor turned to the sleeping teen. "Well, after running an in depth examination, nothing is physically wrong with her. It appears that she's in a comatose state, but we can't find the cause of her condition. She's not ill or injured. It's quite a mystery, actually."

__

Marik and Kakayu looked at each other grimly. _'It's the dark magic from the rod…'_ they thought.

__

"For now, we'll keep her overnight for observation."

__

"I see. Thank you doctor." Kakayu replied.

__

"Yes, of course Ms. Hikami and Mr…" he said while glanced at Marik.

__

"Ishtar. Marik Ishtar." he replied.

__

"Mr. Ishtar! I'll remember your name for next time. Ms. Minami is very blessed to have such a nice young man to look after her! I hope that my daughter will find such a young man as yourself!"

__

Marik bashfully smiled at the compliment. "Thank you sir, but I'm the blessed one. She means the world to me." he said as he smiled at her.

__

"I can see that you share a strong bond with Ms. Minami. It's nice to see such a pure love from today's youth." he replied with a smile. "But please remember that visiting hours are over at 8 P.M. and will start again at 9 A.M. tomorrow. My team and I will be observing her condition. If she happens to awaken during the night, would you like for me to contact you, Ms. Hikami?"

__

"Yes, please."

__

"Alright. I'll be taking my leave now."

__

The two bowed as he exited the room. Marik took a look at the wall clock. "It's only 7 P.M. I'm going to stay here until visiting hours are over."

__

Marik grabbed a nearby chair and sat beside Mimiki's bed. Kakayu yawned and nodded simultaneously, covering her mouth in consideration. "I'll join you."

__

She also grabbed another chair and sat next to Marik. "In the meantime, I'll brainstorm whatever lie I can tell to my aunt and uncle about her condition. I'm pretty sure that saying that she was infected by dark ancient Egyptian magic won't be a permissible answer, if you catch my drift."

__

Marik let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I understand."

__

Then his small smile transformed back into solemn frown. "This is all my fault. If I didn't force Odion to use that fake god card and lose control, she'd be okay…" he said as he buried his face in his hands.

__

"Hey...we all make mistakes…" Kakayu replied.

__

"Yeah but I bet that you don't make them as bad as I do…" he mumbled. He sat up and looked at his sleeping beauty solemnly.

__

"This is like deja vu to me…sitting here and hoping for her recover as soon as possible..."

__

"Deja vu?" she asked.

__

Marik nodded. "Yeah…"

__

Marik didn't know if he should've felt anger or hope. The last time, she was on the road to recovery. This time, no one really knew what was wrong with her.

__

"When I found her buried and…" he paused grimly. "Dead in the sand...I never felt that kind of despair before…" he started.

__

"It was my fault she ended up like that...I took what was precious to her and threw it away as if it was nothing...and she was furious with me. After I got scolded by my sister, I went out to find her, but...she was already trapped that sandstorm…"

__

Marik's stomach sank again as he thought about how scared and helpless Mimiki could've felt in that storm. He began to tell Kakayu about what he experienced during that short, horrific moment of his life.

__

"It was the worst time of my life because I thought that I had killed my best friend...my one and only friend…"

__

Marik's platinum blonde hair hid his guilt-ridden lavender eyes away from Kakayu's shocked gaze. She teared up a bit, his guilt and sorrow was palpable. _'She never told me...and I can see why…'_

__

"And now she's hurt again because of me…" he muttered while he balled his tan fists in frustration. His body shook a bit and Kakayu reached for his shoulder.

__

"Hey...everyone makes mistakes...as long as you're sorry and try your best to correct them, it's okay…" she replied quietly. "It's not too late to start over."

__

Marik's body stopped shaking as he listened to her words. They brought him some comfort, as he could feel the almost same wave forgiveness from Kakayu as he did from Mimiki when last talked to her before she was silenced by his dark side's shadow game. He could see how they were related.

__

"Mimi really loves you, you know? When she came back home, she would tell me about you two and all of your adventures together. Her eyes always lit up whenever she talked about you, but it would leave as quickly as it came because she thought that she would never see you again. I hated seeing her so sad…" she explained.

__

Marik sat up slowly and glanced at Kakayu. "She talked about me?"

__

Kakayu nodded. "Yeah...she even has a picture in a lavender frame on her nightstand of you two from her birthday party in Egypt. You always had a special place in her heart."

__

Marik's heart started to feel a little warmer and he smiled softly. "I have that same picture…" he admitted. "So much had happened the day before...while I watched over her while she was recovering, I knew at that moment that I was in love her. Seeing her awake and back to her normal self and getting to celebrate with her brought peace back into my world. I never wanted it to end...I never wanted to let her go..."

__

Kakayu's heart softened after hearing him speak about Mimiki. She then looked over to her sleeping cousin. _'You're one lucky sumbitch, Mimi! You better get well soon so you two can be together again!'_

__

"I know that she felt the same way. You should've seen her face light up when I told her that I met your sister right before the tournament started. She was so happy at the chance to finally see you again. It was the happiest I had seen her in so long!" she said. Marik grinned. "You have no idea how happy I was when I found out that she was in Domino and when I finally got to see her and hug her again...it was so surreal…"

__

Kakayu smiled before turning back to him. His love for her was really starting to show. "Thanks for taking care of her while she was gone. I'm glad that she had you."

__

"I'm more grateful that I had her."

__

Silence fell between them and the sounds of the beeping medical equipment took its place as they both gazed at her.

__

"Mimiki fought for you because she loves you." she said. "Now you need to fight for her because you love her. We can't give up hope. We have to keep praying for her...that's all we can do right now."

__

Marik didn't look to her, but nodded in agreement. Suddenly a nurse came into the room, ready to check Mimiki's status.

__

"Oh! I wasn't aware that Ms. Minami still had visitors!" she exclaimed. "Visiting hours are almost over."

__

The two teens looked at the clock. "Wow...it's 7:55 already? That was fast…" Marik said.

__

"I apologize if it seems like I'm kicking you two out." she said.

__

Kakayu shook her head. "No, it's fine. We understand. There's always tomorrow."

__

The nurse nodded. "Yep!"

__

Marik didn't want to leave her, but he knew that he had to. He reluctantly moved their chairs back to where they originally were and gave her one last glance before they left the room. _'I'll be back tomorrow, Mimi...I promise.'_

__________________________________

From that point on, Marik and Kakayu visited Mimiki everyday. It had been two days since she was hospitalized. Kakayu was elated that she had caught a break in explaining why Mimiki was in the hospital. By a stroke of pure luck, she found out that Mimiki's father had been suddenly called away for business, leaving her mother and siblings behind to visit family across town. With telling them that the gang had been "gifted" with an after tournament celebration trip, courtesy of Kaiba, it was easy to sweep her hospitalization under the rug in case if her hospitalization had ran longer than they had hoped. When asked in the beginning where Mimiki was, Kakayu had lied and said that Mimiki was tired out from the fun and had fallen asleep. To keep said big lie alive, Kakayu had informed everyone of her lie and stayed over Tea's house for the time being.

__

Everyday, Marik managed to always beat Kakayu to the hospital every morning and stayed with her from sun up to sundown. He was always by her side, making sure that she was comfortable and praying for her constantly. His fatigue was evident on his face; he had barely eaten, let alone slept since he first left her. Even the gang came to see her and it was no surprise to them that Marik was always there. Their reservations of him and his past sins were slowly chipped away as they saw his dedication to Mimiki and of course, the girls found it heartwarming, hoping that along with her quick recovery, they could find a man that loved them so deeply and intensely one day. Ishizu and Odion also came to visit to check up on the both of them, giving their brother their love and support.

__

The next morning, Marik was once again in the hospital, walking down the hall towards Mimiki's room. This time, he had a bouquet of stargazer lilies in hand to add to her growing mini flower garden in her room. He walked in to see her still sleeping as the beeping medical once again graced his eardrums, not making his mood any better. The bright sunlight peaked through the white hospital blinds. Marik sat the flowers down and proceeded to open the blinds, making the room instantly brighter. For some reason, it lifted his mood more than he expected, but it didn't prevent him from yawning.

__

"Good morning, Marik." a familiar voice said.

__

Kakayu had walked in with a blue duffel bag in tow, along with an iced mocha and a small smile. He turned to greet her.

__

"Good morning, Kakayu."

__

"You're early as always." she noted.

__

"Of course. I want to be here when she wakes up."

__

"I know, I know. Me too." she replied.

__

Marik eyed her duffel suspiciously. "What with the bag? Are you sure that you've been spending the night with Tea? Or maybe you've really been trying to spend the night with Kaiba." he teased.

__

Kakayu blushed and looked away. _'He did not just say that!'_

__

"I can see how you and Mimi are related. Devious and naughty behavior must run in the family!" he said as he thought back to when Mimiki had hid him away in her bathroom right before the finals. Ironically, she was hiding him from Kakayu at the time.

__

It took all of her restraint to prevent her from smashing her plastic cup of frozen caffeine. "You're lucky that I really love this iced mocha with extra chocolate syrup and that I need caffeine right now. Otherwise I'd throw it at your smart ass!" she replied.

__

Marik couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, but there was an opportunity, so I had to seize the moment. You know that I'm joking."

__

"Peh! For your information, this is a spare change of clothes for Mimi. I snuck to her house and got them for when she wakes up."

__

"That was a good idea. I'm sure that she'll appreciate getting into some fresh clothes when she wakes up."

__

Kakayu nodded. "Yep! I just have a good feeling about today, you know? I feel like she might really wake up today!"

__

"You really think so?" Marik asked hopefully.

__

Kakayu nodded again with a smile. "Yes...I just hope that this happy feeling will manifest itself into her waking up, you know?"

__

Marik nodded while releasing a big nod. Then his stomach growled loudly, embarrassing the young Egyptian. "I know that sleeping nor eating has really been your top priorities over the last couple of days. Why don't you go downstairs and getting something to eat? The food is really good!" she said while waving her drink lightly. "And it's not too expensive."

__

Before he could respond, Marik's stomach growled again in protest, along with another yawn. _'She's right...I haven't slept a wink nor eaten much since Mimi's been in the hospital...I'm eventually going to pay dearly for neglecting my body...I'll be joining her if I end up hospitalized for malnutrition…'_

__

"I just might take you up on that. I'll be back."

__

"Okay, see you when you get back!"

__

Marik finally dragged his feet down to the cafeteria. The smell of breakfast, freshly brewed coffee and orange juice quickly filled his nose. His stomach growled loudly once again. He quickly scanned the menu and opted for a toasted bagel and a cup of coffee. After receiving his things, Marik quickly returned to her room, nibbling his breakfast along the way. Before he stepped into the room, he heard two laughs of a feminine nature. One voice was instantly recognizable, which made his heart race with excitement. He started to pick up his pace, but quickly stopped when some of his hot coffee spilled on his hand. He cursed at his carelessness, but he quickly tossed his burning pain aside and walked into the room.

__

"Mimi?" he called out hopefully.

__

The two teens turned to him. "Oh, Marik! You're back!" Kakayu exclaimed. "Look who's finally decided to join us!"

__

Mimiki rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Kai."

__

Marik's eyes teared up as he placed his food on the table to look at his beloved. There she was—finally awake and appearing to be doing well. She looked at him with her big, blue eyes. Just locking eyes with her made it feel like time had stopped for a moment. All was right in his world now and nothing could turn it dark again.

__

"Mimi! You're okay! You're really okay!" he exclaimed.

__

Marik quickly hugged her, but she tensed up in his embrace. "I was so worried about you! How are you—"

__

Mimiki pushed him back with as much strength as she could muster and quickly shot him a confused look. Then she uttered three heart stopping words that made his world crumble.

__

"Who are you?"

__


	14. The Darkness Inside

In another dimension, Mimiki was still entangled in her rose thorn prison. Her mind was still silent and numb in the purple abyss. Two days later, she managed to open her eyes, but only halfway. Her vision was still blurry. She still felt weak, but thankfully not as weak as she did before. She tried to move her fingers, but only moved them slightly with exerting way too much strength, in her opinion.

_"Ugh…"_ she muttered.

Her vision slowly started to clear. She willed herself to make it happen faster. _'I have to get better...like yesterday!'_ she thought. _'I need to get better! I need to get better! My friends are waiting for me! I have to cheer Yugi on!'_ She continued to struggle in the vines, hoping to break free.

_'I miss my friends! And I miss Ma— _'__

____

Then she paused for a moment and blinked. _'I miss…'_

_____ _

Mimiki paused again. Her memory was cloudy. She stopped struggling and tried to think again. She tried to remember him, tried to picture his face and his features. _'I miss—'_

_____ _

"Who do you miss, Mimiki?" a voice asked. Mimiki gasped and her vision finally cleared. The voice was familiar, but not familiar at the same time. Mimiki looked up to see a shadowy figure standing before her, but her mind had forgotten who she was thinking about. She screamed in pain as dark energy surged through her mind once again. Her blank eyes showed exhaustion and despair as she breathed heavily. Losing her strength, she fainted. The shadow figure crossed their arms, it clearly wasn't impressed with Mimiki's weak will.

_____ _

_"You've been sleeping for too long. It's about time that I let you wake up. I'm bored enough as is!"_

_____ _

The unknown figure snapped its fingers, reversing the damage that was done. The dark stronghold was called back to its hand and energy started to flow through Mimiki's body. A wicked smile grew on the shadow figure's face.

_____ _

_"It's showtime!"_

_____________________________

Kakayu took another sip of her iced mocha before checking on Mimiki's flowers. The nurse had came in minutes later to check Mimiki's vitals once again. Kakayu remained hopeful as she watched the nurse.

_____ _

"So, any changes Nurse Kobayashi?" she asked. "Hopefully good ones?"

_____ _

The nurse finished inputting some notes on her tablet with a smile before turning to Kakayu. "Actually, her brain activity is up! This is definitely a big change from the last couple of days! Dr. Ishikawa will be pleased!"

_____ _

"Really?! Does that mean she'll wake up soon?"

_____ _

"Maybe not today, but if she does, it'll be a miracle!" she replied. "Definitely keep hope alive! This is a definite sign that she's recovering!"

_____ _

Kakayu sighed in relief and almost shed a tear. _'Thank God…'_

_____ _

"That's wonderful to hear! Thank you so much!"

_____ _

Nurse Kobayashi made sure that Mimiki was comfortable once more. "No need to thank me. I'm sure that Miss Minami can feel yours, your friends and her boyfriend's love and that's helping her to recover. You two have been here everyday since she's been admitted, especially her boyfriend! He's such a sweet boy, being here all day from sun up to sundown! He's always sitting here by her side." she commented. Then she looked around. "Speaking of him, where is he? I'm surprised that he's not here."

_____ _

_'If only you knew that said boy had been trying to kill us repeatedly over the past week!'_ she thought. _'But I gotta give him a chance! He's truly changed since his evil side was banished...and she's right. He's been super dedicated to Mimi. He's not a bad conversationalist, either. At least he's not a dull person.'_

_____ _

"Yes, he's sweet alright! Since he's been volunteering guard duty, I made him take a mandatory break. He's downstairs getting some well deserved breakfast."

_____ _

The nurse smiled at him. "Oh thank goodness! With the way he was looking, I thought that he would be the next emergency patient we'd have! His fatigue was starting to worry me! Thank goodness he has a friend like you to care about his well being! I was tempted to give him an IV!"

_____ _

Kakayu chuckled. "I know, right? Besides, Mimi would kill me if I let her dear boyfriend keel over before she woke up. Don't worry, nurse. I'll make sure that he'll get some sleep too."

_____ _

"Good to hear! I'm going to report this update to Dr. Ishikawa and he'll be in to check up on her once he's finished with some other patients, okay?"

_____ _

Kakayu nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you again." she said, bowing.

_____ _

She replied with a smile and left the room. Kakayu sighed and grabbed a chair and her bag and sat next to Mimiki's bed. She fished out her tablet to read a novel and finish her coffee while she waited for Marik to return. Minutes later, she heard a deep intake of air. She quickly placed the tablet down in her lap and looked around the room.

_____ _

"...where am I?" she heard a familiar voice asked groggily.

_____ _

Kakayu's heart jumped when she heard the voice. "Mimiki?!" she exclaimed.

_____ _

Mimiki winced at hearing her loud voice. Her nearly closed, blank eyes slowly opened as she gripped her snow white sheets in her slender hands. "...yes…?" she replied.

_____ _

Mimiki closed her eyes and opened them fully. Her eyes were now full of life as she looked around the room. She slowly tried to sit up and Kakayu helped her up.

_____ _

"Oh my God, Mimiki! You're finally awake!" she exclaimed, giving her a tight hug.

_____ _

"Ow, ow, ow!" she replied. "Not too hard, Kai! I feel sore."

_____ _

Kakayu let her go and sat back in her chair. "I'm sorry! I was just so happy to see you awake again! We were so worried about you! I gotta call everyone and tell them you're okay! They'll be so happy!"

_____ _

Kakayu quickly grabbed her phone to start typing a group message. While she was doing that, Mimiki looked around to observe her surroundings. "Kai, why am I in the hospital? Weren't we on Kaiba's blimp for the Battle City tournament?" she asked, clearly confused. Moments later, her eyes widened. "Don't tell me that I had a impromptu duel and got knocked out worse than you did by a God card!"

_____ _

Kakayu laughed nervously as she pressed the 'send' button. _'Well you're not too far off…'_

_____ _

Her eyes widened. "If that happened, that means that I was disqualified, right?! Gah! I'm such a spazz! And I was so looking forward to kicking some ass! Ugh!"

_____ _

Kakayu couldn't help but laugh loudly. She covered her mouth to tone down the volume of her laugh. Mimiki growled at her. "You know that it's rude to laugh at hospitalized people's woes!"

_____ _

"I'm sorry, but you're acting like a total anime character right now. It's amusing."

_____ _

Mimiki couldn't help but notice the blue gem on her cousin's finger. "Is that a tanzanite and diamond ring?! Holy shit! It's huge! Where did you get that from?!"

_____ _

Kakayu blushed and looked away. "Well you know that Kaiba does, on the rare occasion, care about someone other than himself…"

_____ _

Mimiki's eyes widened as she gasped. "Kaiba gave you that?! Tell me all of the details! I need to know!"

_____ _

"Well...see what had happened was…"

_____ _

The two cousins started laughing and talking away as if everything was normal again.

_____________________________

"Your total is $5.95."

_____ _

Marik handed the cashier some cash from his wallet. "Thank you. Keep the change."

_____ _

The woman smiled and handed him his drink, toasted bagel and cream cheese in a small paper bag. Since he hadn't slept much since Mimiki was in the hospital, the steaming hot cup of coffee was welcomed and the bagel was enough to quiet his empty abyss of a stomach for now. After fixing it up just right was a bit of cream and sugar, he made his way back to the elevator that would take him back to the eighth floor of the hospital. He tapped his foot anxiously as he waited for the elevator to arrive. After what seemed like forever, he climbed into the glass elevator and released a big yawn during its ascent. He took another sip of coffee as he walked down to Mimiki's room.

_____ _

He was clearly very worried about her condition, as he still blamed himself, but everyone told him to have hope that she'd wake up soon. Even Kakayu had hope that she would wake up today. _'Mimi and Kakayu...they're both so optimistic...I wish that I could be like them in that regard.'_

_____ _

Before he stepped into the room, he heard not one but two girlish laughs. One whose high pitched chortle was instantly recognizable, which made his heart race with excitement. He started to pick up his pace, but quickly slowed when some of his hot coffee spilled on his hand. He almost dropped the cup.

_____ _

"Ouch! Dammit!" he muttered.

_____ _

Marik quickly tossed his pain aside and walked into the room. "Mimi?"

_____ _

"Oh, Marik! You're back!" Kakayu exclaimed.

_____ _

_'Marik?'_ Mimiki thought. "Look who's finally decided to join us!"

_____ _

Mimiki rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Kai."

_____ _

Marik's eyes teared up as he placed his food on the table to look at his beloved. There she was—finally awake and appearing to be doing well. She looked at him with her big, blue eyes. Just locking eyes with her made it feel like time had stopped for a moment. All was right in his world now and nothing could turn it dark again.

_____ _

"Mimi! You're okay! You're really okay!" he exclaimed. Marik quickly hugged her, but she tensed up in his embrace. "I was so worried about you! How are you—"

_____ _

Mimiki pushed him back with as much strength as she could muster and quickly shot him a confused look, which startled him. Then she uttered three heart stopping words made his world crumble.

_____ _

"Who are you?"

_____ _

Kakayu almost broke her neck whipping her head around to look at Mimiki. She instantly joined the shocked club with Marik. "What are you talking about? You know him!"

_____ _

Mimiki locked eyes with her cousin, clearly not feigning ignorance. "No I don't, Kai! Who is he?"

_____ _

Then she turned back to Marik. "Who are you?" she asked again. "And why are you calling me by my nickname?! You better not be some crazy stalker from school!" she hissed.

_____ _

Kakayu and Marik couldn't believe what they were hearing. There was actually venom in her words as she eyed Marik.

_____ _

"Mimi, it's me...Marik…" he replied.

_____ _

"I don't know anyone named Marik."

_____ _

Marik's throat started to feel dry. "Come on, Mimi...it's me...Marik…" he repeated. "Your friend...from Egypt...we used to play together all of the time. Then you suddenly moved back home. We reunited at the tournament, remember?"

_____ _

He gently grabbed her hand and gave her a reassuring, loving smile. "You're the love of my life...we love each other."

_____ _

Mimiki felt heat rise to her cheeks. She felt the familiarity of his touch and the sincerity of his words. She looked into his eyes and a small smile started to form—but it was quickly replaced with a disgusted frown, along with a migraine. She winced in pain and clenched her head.

_____ _

"Mimi are you okay?" Marik asked, clearly concerned. She looked up at him with dark eyes and he gasped when she snatched her hand out of his grasp, smacking it away.

_____ _

"I don't love anyone, you creep!" she replied. "I don't believe you!"

_____ _

"Mimiki! It's me! I'm telling the truth!" Marik said. He quickly pulled out their shared picture from her party out from his back pocket and held it up for her to see. Seeing the picture instantly brought on another headache and she clenched her head again, gnashing her teeth and breathing heavily. Her heart rate spiked, setting off the heart monitor she was hooked up to for a second. She quickly snatched his picture out of his hand with cat like reflexes and snarled at him with those same dark eyes.

_____ _

"You must've lost your damn mind!" she snarled. "You're crazy! How did you get this picture of me?! I only have one copy of this! And you had the nerve to photoshop yourself into it?! You're batshit insane! Get out of here you creep!"

_____ _

Astounded on how her cousin was behaving, Kakayu couldn't stand silent any longer.

_____ _

"Mimiki Minami! What has gotten into you?!" she screamed. "He's Marik Ishtar, the man you've loved for the past three and a half years! After all you've been through together and as much as you've talked about him, you can't tell me that you've forgotten about him! He's stood by your side this whole time, worrying about you and you've been crying about him and his well being for the last couple of days! How dare you treat him like that?!"

_____ _

Mimiki looked to her cousin in disbelief. "How could you say that, Kakayu! You know that I don't love anyone! And you let this weirdo into my room?! How dare you?! Get him out of here!"

_____ _

Shocked but determined to help, Marik began to plead with her. "Mimi, please listen to me!" Marik said.

_____ _

Mimiki clenched her sheets tightly, glowering at him. "Leave me alone." she said.

_____ _

"Mimiki, please—"

_____ _

"Get. Out." she replied.

_____ _

"Mimi—"

_____ _

Suddenly a dark energy built up in her chest. Her eyes went blank as she snarled at him. "I said LEAVE ME ALONE!"

_____ _

The dark energy exploded from within and surrounded her body. Her hair floated around her, her irises shrunk and the millennium eye was glowing on her forehead. They both gasped at her possessed like appearance and shivers ran down their spines. Mimiki started to breath heavily again, her eyes welling up with tears. She suddenly felt light headed and moaned in pain, then proceeded to faint. Before she closed her eyes, she glanced at Marik one more time. A tear fell down her cheek and he swore that he saw a glimpse of remorse.

_____ _

___"Help me…"_ he heard her say.

__

Mimiki was now sound asleep again. The two stood in silence for a moment before turning to each other.

__

"Marik...what the hell just happened? " Kakayu asked, her voice trembling. "Tell me that you know what just happened!"

__

"I-I...I don't know…" he replied.

__

"What do you mean you don't know?! You have to know something!"

__

Marik turned back to his beloved, his heart racing as he remembered the glowing millennium eye that was on her forehead.

__

"Call the pharaoh and tell him to bring the rod. We need some help."

__

Kakayu didn't waste any time in calling Yugi and Marik quickly called his sister. They needed all of the help they could get.

_____________________________

Yugi had stayed up pretty late the night before playing video games. Summer vacation was still in effect and he thought that it would be wise to seize the opportunity to chill out and play as much as he could before school was planned to resume in the few weeks ahead. He was still tired from the tournament and worrying about Mimiki, so sleeping in as long as possible was one of his favorite ways to recoup. Of course, it was broken once his phone sounded off around 9 AM.

__

After answering and hearing Kakayu's panicked voice over the phone, Yugi quickly got ready. He quickly snatched his backpack from out of his closet and dumped his textbooks onto his desk. He grabbed the rod and stuffed it inside. After putting on the puzzle, he left for the hospital, leaving his grandpa to wonder what had made his grandson dart out of the house so urgently.

__

He didn't like the frightened tone that he heard from Kakayu. It was already bad enough that Mimiki was still cursed by dark magic, but he wondered what could have possibly happened now? Uncertainty riddled his and Yami's mind.

__

Yugi cursed his luck once he arrived at the train station. He rushed out of the house so quickly that he forgot his train pass. Then the ticket lines were all occupied. After waiting for ten minutes, he quickly bought a ticket. After flying through the train station to reach the train platform, he mentally screamed. His train's doors were starting to close shut.

__

_'This is NOT my day!'_ he thought.

__

Yugi took the quickest sprint of his life and leaped into the train before the doors had shut completely, surprising everyone else around him. As he heaved and tried to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead, Yami gave him a 'job well done' pat on his shoulder.

__

After a few minutes, Yugi impatiently tapped his foot on the metal floor as his train made its way to his stop.

__

_"This is South Domino."_

__

The train finally stopped at South Domino stop and he made a run for it as soon as the doors had opened. He was out of breath and sweating again once he was inside of the hospital elevator fifteen minutes later.

__

_'My cardio sucks…'_ he thought.

__

He really wanted a drink of water to cool down with, but he knew that would have to wait. The door slid open and Yugi made his way to Mimiki's room.

__

Mimiki was still asleep when Yugi arrived. Ishizu and Odion had arrived minutes earlier, everyone had pensive looks slapped onto their faces, which invited a heavy, gloomy spirit into the room.

__

"I'm here!" Yugi said. "Now what happened?! You didn't sound too well on the phone."

__

Marik, who had been standing over Mimiki and trying to wrap his head around Mimiki's change of heart, managed to detach his focus away from her for a moment and looked at Yugi.

__

"Thank you for coming on such short notice. Did you bring the rod?"

__

Yugi nodded and took the rod out of his backpack. Marik took the rod and turned back to Mimiki, who was still sleeping soundly. "I believe that the dark magic is behind Mimiki's sudden amnesia."

__

Yugi blinked in confusion. "Amnesia?! When did you find that out?!"

__

Marik nodded. "Yes, but I'll explain everything as soon as I can enter her mind and see what's going on."

__

Marik tightened his grip around the rod. _'I never wanted to do more than a mind link with Mimi...but I have to figure out what's wrong with her despite how I feel…'_ he thought. _'I just hope that I can help her!'_

__

He thought back to the moments when they did communicate via mind link. Although it was for a very short time, he enjoyed that they were in their own world. He could feel the familiar powers of the rod returning to him.

__

"I'm going to link our minds. This will enable you all to see what I will see once I enter her mind. Stay focused and prepare yourselves."

__

Everyone nodded and closed their eyes. Marik took a deep breath and entered Mimiki's mind.

_____________________________

Marik once again found himself floating in the purple abyss of Mimiki's trapped mind. He quickly spotted the rose garden and flew towards it. His landing echoed with an audible 'click.' Marik's heart dropped once he looked around. The roses that were once red and vibrant were now all charcoal colored. His chest was heavy with pain. The last time he was there, she was in a much better condition, despite the situation. He quickly spotted Mimiki on the trellis.

__

_"Mimiki!"_ he yelled as he ran up to her. She was unconscious just like she was the last time he visited her mind, except for this time the roses that wrapped around her body were now charcoal. The giant rose that laid upon her chest was the only one left that still had some color to it; it was now a shade of dusty red.

__

_"...Mimiki?"_ he muttered. Tears began to well in his lavender eyes. It pained him as the conflicting images flashed in his mind; she seemed almost fine while awake, but she was suffering on the inside. The vibrant garden was now a dark and desolate place and there was no telling how much damage was done to her mind, let alone her soul. Guilt stabbed Marik's heart all over again. _'This is my fault…'_ he thought.

__

He clenched his fist before reaching out to touch her sleeping face.

__

_"Don't you dare touch her."_ a vicious voice said.

__

Marik whipped around to lock eyes with Mimiki. Confused, he looked back and forth between the Mimiki that was trapped on the trellis and the Mimiki that was behind him, a lone hand propped on her curvy hip.

__

_"...who are —"_

__

Marik gasped as once he realized it. Memories from the day she had died resurfaced again. That evil form that stood before him at that time was identical to the Mimiki that stood before him; the sharp and malicious cat-like eyes, sharp finger nails and the dark, blank eyes.

__

_"...no…"_

__

A wicked smile crawled onto her face as she felt his heart drop. _"Long time, no see Ishtar. It's been a long time..."_ she purred.

__

Marik stood silent and found himself at a loss of words. It was no secret to her that he was panicking. Although he was trying his best to hide it, his memories were choking him like a snake that was wrapped around his neck. She got a kick out of it, but soon her smile faltered into one of ridden with annoyance. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

__

_"I know that you weren't expecting to see me and as much as I would like to continue our little reunion, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You don't belong here."_

__

Marik swallowed and managed to find his voice. _"What did you do to Mimiki?!"_ he asked.

__

_"The state of her mind is none of your concern. Besides, I didn't do anything to her. I'm just here on guard duty."_

__

_"Liar! She IS my concern! Especially if you're here!"_

__

She scoffed at him. _"How cute. You're trying to exercise what little backbone you have."_

__

Marik ignored her insult and returned her glare. _"I'll find a way to stop you! I'll return Mimiki back to normal! She'll overcome this trial! I believe in her!"_

__

She exploded with condescending laughter. _"That's hilarious! You think that you can stop me? You actually believe in Mimiki? The girl's mind is as strong as a limp noodle!"_

__

She started to walk closer to him. Marik tensed up with every step. _"You have no excuse for tensing up like this. This is your fault, after all."_

__

Marik gasped. _"What are you talking about?!"_

__

She then flashed a toothy grin. _"That's for me to know and for you to find out."_ she replied.

__

Marik growled at her. _"Tell me the truth!"_ he demanded.

__

She stood silent for a moment, but held her smile. _"Ugh, you're so damn whiny! Can't you ever think on your own?!"_ she complained. _"I don't think that you can handle the truth. If I tell you, you'll be all pissy sad and the like. You know, just like you were when she died last time?"_

__

_"SHUT UP! JUST TELL ME!"_

__

She scoffed at him. _"That's not how you talk to a lady of my caliber!"_

__

Marik growled at her with narrowed eyes, but that didn't scare her. In fact, it amused her. _"Fine. I'll tell you. This is her mind, correct? As the former wielder of the rod, you should already be aware about what's going on…"_

__

She turned around and drank the sight of the barren garden. _"Her mind was vast and vibrant, full of life, magic, love, happiness and hope. Now it's a forgotten wasteland of the dead…"_ she continued. She then looked at him over her shoulder. _"And it's all thanks to you…"_

__

Marik's heart dropped again. His memory traced back to when Ishizu had showed them the aftermath of his dark side's and his beloved's unique shadow game. Seeing her lifeless body hit the floor was forever ingrained in his memory. But then he remembered how his dark side was defeated and how everyone of his victims had been released from their curse. Why hadn't Mimiki been in the same boat?

__

_"My dark side was defeated. That should've reversed everyone's curse! Why isn't Mimiki the same?!"_

__

Her eyes narrowed at hearing about his dark side. _**"Don't do this! You'll regret it! I'll make you regret it!"**_ she repeated in an all too familiar voice. It sent a shiver up his spine, which she felt a shiver of excitement.

__

_"I'm glad that you remember...he warned that you were going to regret this."_ She turned to face him again. _"Looks like someone didn't listen~~"_ she sang before chuckling again. _"Because Mimiki foolishly thought that she could save you, she played with a demon. When she fell, her mind was weakened and trapped in this garden. Her memories and love for you and her will to fight slowly faded away. It would've taken more time than normal for her will and memories to wither away, but since you managed to trade places with your dark side and refused to compromise with him, he used the last of his power to accelerate this process; hence making you regret your decision. He knew that his time was imminent. As a last precaution, I was created…a fine mix between her negative emotions, experiences and attributes, your trauma from when she died and shadow magic..."_ she explained. _"So because of you, Mimiki no longer remembers you and now I've been placed here to make sure that it stays that way...do you think that you can stop me now?"_

__

Marik clenched his fists in frustration and guilt. The truth was damning and he felt like he was being hit with several tons of bricks. Nausea crashed over him and he started to get dizzy, but he knew that he had to stand up for himself. _"...I...I will stop you! I'll find a way! I'll make amends for my actions! This is just one setback! I'm not giving up now!"_

__

Mimiki's evil doppelganger wasn't convinced. _"I just LOVE how confident you are! I'll tell you what: I'll humor you and your vain efforts."_

__

She then pointed towards the rose that hovered over Mimiki's chest. _"That rose is the last remnant of Mimiki's mind; it's the heart of her mind and soul. As you can see, it's lost a great deal of its vibrancy. Once it turns black, her mind will be dead and her soul will be frail. The Mimiki you know and love will be gone which means I'll be able to roam free in her place and continue to make you forever suffer the loss of your beloved Mimiki."_

__

_"I WON'T LET YOU!"_ he screeched.

__

_"Yeah, yeah...you're starting to sound like a broken record."_ she said in a dismissive voice. _"If you can somehow manage to return her mind to normal, I'll leave her be."_

__

Marik glared at her. _"As if I'll believe you! Demons like you never keep your promises!"_

__

_"I swear that I'll leave her be if you can return her back to normal!"_ Her face quickly reverted back to a frown. _"But if you call me out of my name again, I swear I'll turn that rose of hers into the darkest shade of black you've ever seen faster than you can say 'demonic twat'! Do you hear me?!"_ she hissed.

__

Marik held his tongue for Mimiki's sake. The wicked smile reappeared on her face. _"I'm glad that we've had this conversation. Please make sure that we don't have it again."_ she continued. _"Now I have to ask you to leave. You've overstayed your welcome."_

__

Marik gasped at her as her hair started to float around her and her pupils shrunk down to the size of a pea. She cackled as the millennium eye graced her forehead and dark energy swirled around her body. She looked just like Mimiki did before she had fainted, except happier and crazier. He shielded his eyes for a moment as the dark energy exploded from her, her hair pointing in all directions.

__

_"Game on Ishtar...good luck! You're going to need it!"_ she said as she raised a hand towards him. _"May time be ever in your favor…"_

__

Swirls of dark energy gathered in her extended palm, quickly forming then growing into an orb of purple energy.

__

_"Wait —"_

__

Before he knew it, he orb had shrunk, then exploded. Marik was quickly pushed out of her mind.

_____________________________

Marik stumbled backwards and hit the wall behind him once he came back to reality. Everyone had felt the same pulse and fell on top of one another, soliciting groans of pain. After everyone regained their composure and picked themselves up from the cold, hard hospital floor, they all looked towards Marik, who appeared defeated and silent. No one didn't know who and when they should speak up. The room was silent for a moment until Kakayu stepped forward. She wanted to reach out to him, but she decided to keep her distance.

__

"Marik...what just happened?" Kakayu asked, her voice still. "Are you okay?"

__

Marik couldn't gather the words to reply. Mimiki was helpless and weak. Mimiki was trapped by a demon that resided in her mind. Worst of all: she looked like _him_ …

__

Their evil laughs echoed through his mind, causing him to begin to shake. Marik fell to his knees started to sob heavily. His tears burned his lavender eyes. His heart was crushed once more.

__

"It's all my fault…" he wailed.

_____________________________

During the hour that had passed since then, Ishizu and Odion left with Marik and took him outside in order to console him. On the roof, he gripped the fence tightly with whitened knuckles as he continued to cry. His siblings were in distraught. They hadn't seen him behave like this since Mimiki had left Egypt. They walked up towards him slowly, Ishizu reaching out to him first.

__

"Marik…" she called out in a low voice. "Can you explain everything to us? We want to help you, little brother."

__

Marik's hands stayed glued to the fence as he tried regain his composure. He slowly turned towards his brother and sister, their figures blurred by his tears.

__

"Ishizu...Odion...it's all my fault…!" he muttered. "He hurt her...he cursed her...my dark side hurt her to hurt me for killing him…!"

__

"Your dark side is behind this, Master Marik?" Odion asked. "But he was destroyed in your duel with the pharaoh!"

__

Marik nodded. "Yes, but he used a reserve of shadow magic to hurt her! Now she has a dark side...and she's just as uncaring and crafty as him! If I don't help her in time, she'll die again…I'll lose her again! That spirit is going to take her place if I don't help her in time! She'll be just like I was!" he whimpered.

__

Ishizu quickly embraced him, trying to pour as much love and assurance into him as she could. Odion joined in and kneeled beside him, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. Feeling their concern and love made him calm down a bit, but it took him a minute to settle down.

__

"Marik...I know that this seems to be a nightmare...we all know how much Mimiki means to you. She was your only friend and you grew to love her, and she did the same. But remember this, brother: she fought so hard for you! She had faith that you would see the light again. You can't give up on her, understand? She didn't give up on you."

__

"But Ishizu...you don't understand...he destroyed her memories of me! Her love for me! You should've seen her and the way she treated me...how she _looked_ at me when she woke up! She doesn't have much time until it's irreversible! I'm on borrowed time!"

__

Ishizu rubbed his back while Odion gave his shoulder a brief, supportive squeeze.

__

"You're not alone, Master Marik. We will assist you in helping Miss Mimiki recover."

__

Ishizu nodded. "We'll do our best to support you both. We love Mimiki too."

__

Marik stayed silent and closed his eyes. All he could think about was how much he loved and missed Mimiki. He kept blaming himself for what had happened. He felt like he didn't deserve her at all, but all he wanted was to hear her laugh and see her smile at him again. He quietly shed another tear and quietly shut himself off from the outside world.

_____________________________

Moments later, a cool, gentle breeze kissed his cheek. The sensation felt unnatural; the wind also felt warm. Suddenly, the darkness and despair started to dissolve from his heart. The warmth felt familiar and loving; his soul felt light. He opened his eyes and found his favorite pair of ocean blue eyes locking with his. Completely stunned, his voice had left him. Her hand rested on his cheek as she stared at him lovingly. His mind raced back to when they were alone in her room after his dark had taken over. The love and warmth he felt from her back then was nothing like he ever felt before.

__

_'I love you and I believe in you.'_ he remembered her saying, making him smile.

__

After hearing her words, he felt loved and accepted; her heartfelt forgiveness had washed his deep rooted guilt away. With her being there with him, he closed his eyes and embraced her presence. Each second felt like an eternity; he didn't want it to end, but the warmth quickly left his cheek. Marik opened his eyes to see her drifting away from him.

__

_"Mimiki! Wait!"_ he cried, reaching out to her. _"Don't go!"_

__

Her leaving him reminded him of when she left Egypt. _"You can't go! Not again!"_ he pleaded.

__

Her smile turned into one mixed with sadness. Much to his chagrin and she didn't reply, but her eyes were laced with regret. Instead, she held a hand over her heart. In turn, his heart felt warm and he placed a hand over his heart.

_____________________________

She slowly faded away and Marik returned back to reality; the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city below graced his ears. Ishizu and Odion were still comforting him.

__

"Marik...don't be forlorn." Ishizu said, breaking their silence. "Mimiki is not gone. She might be under a dark curse but she's still here and…"

__

She placed her hand over Marik's heart. "She lives inside your heart."

__

Marik gasped and thought back to when Mimiki placed her hand over her heart. He felt the warmth return briefly and managed to shed another tear when he thought about her. _'She lives inside my heart…'_

__

"You can't give up hope, Master Marik." Odion chimed in. "Miss Mimiki believed in you and fought for you. If you were able to rid yourself of your inner demon, then she can as well. Help her return to the light once more."

__

Marik managed to crack a small smile and took a deep breath. "Thank you, you two."

__

Ishizu released him from her embrace and the two siblings stepped away from him. He turned to them and smiled. "You two are right. She does live inside my heart. She's not gone."

__

Marik wiped his face and rubbed his stinging eyes before taking another deep breath. "Let's return to Mimi's room. We need to check up on her."

__

The Ishtar siblings nodded and proceeded to return inside. Along the way, memories of them together flashed through Marik's mind, from the day they met, up until now. He envisioned them being happy together for days to come and the sweet smile that warmed his heart.

__

_'I want to make more memories with you...'_ he thought. _'I'll fight for you! I'll fight for your smile! I'm bringing you home, Mimi!'_

__


End file.
